Unsung, Untold
by Moiraine Lendreth
Summary: We all know that Hino Kahoko has been unknowingly chosen to take part in the Seisou Academy concours. But what if there was more to Kahoko than meets the eye? How would the other concours participants handle the truth?
1. Vocalist, not Violinist

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda D'__Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: An AU fic of the lives of our dearest concours participants, twisted just so with a dash of lemony goodness for everyone to enjoy. Yes, my dear readers, it's one of those 'what if…?' fics, one where our forbidden fantasies are given life. (evil grin here)_

_Summary: We all know that Hino Kahoko has been unknowingly chosen to take part in the Seisou Academy concours. But what if there was more to Kahoko than meets the eye?_

_Dedicated to my younger sister, who introduced me to the manga (and the anime) in the first place._

_Warnings and Disclaimers: All La Corda D'Oro names, places, items, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. Only the plot, OCs, and writing style are mine. This story is rated M for graphic sexual scenes (in later chapters) and mature content. Not to your liking? Then please push the back button to spare your sanity._

* * *

**Chapter 1 : Vocalist, not Violinist**

**Ever twisting Destiny's path be**

**Ever erring Man's choice**

**Never ending is his journey**

**Never lasting is his joys**

"Kahoko! Aren't you going to be late if you don't get down now?!"

Hino Kahoko glanced quickly at the clock on her bedside drawer as she shoved her stuff straight to her backpack pell-mell, not even looking at what she was doing. Ten minutes. She only had ten minutes! "I'm coming!" she yelled, her hands frantically grabbing at the one thing Kahoko could not afford to bring: her portable CD player.

Kahoko's mother sighed in exasperation when she saw her daughter sprinting down the stairs while attempting to fix her tie. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Your lunch, dear."

"Thanks, mom," Kahoko flashed a grin before grabbing her lunch and proceeding to put on her shoes.

Her mother crossed her arms with a disproving frown. "It's really unusual that you're late to school, Kahoko. You didn't have work last night, did you?"

Kahoko shook her head. She grunted with the effort of putting on one shoe at a time while balancing on one foot. "I—ngh—just forgot to set my alarm clock."

Another sigh. "Well, can you make it on time?"

Kahoko grinned. "No problem." And she was out the front door, giving her mother a peck on the cheek before leaving completely. Deep maroon hair flying behind her, Kahoko raced to the school, praying that she wasn't late for her first period.

o0o0o0o

Her hometown—wouldn't you know it, filled with uphill roads. Kahoko was already sweating by the time she was halfway to the Academy, swearing inaudibly under her breath. She narrowed her gold-amber eyes at the hellish road, lazily curving upwards and to the left, out of her sight. "One of these days," she huffed, "I'm going to convince Mom I need to buy myself a car."

She took a step forward, and her cellular phone began to ring.

Fishing the mobile out of her school bag with some difficulty, Kahoko flipped it open and frowned when she saw who was calling. She put the phone against her ear with a sigh. "Yes?"

"Kaho-chan!" the voice on the other end of the line was female, older. It was Kushina-san. "Are you in school already?"

"Nearly," Kahoko replied as she continued to jog to school, hefting her bag onto her shoulder. "Why the call?"

"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to hear how you were," laughed Kushina. "And I wanted to tell you your show's still on tonight."

Kahoko could feel a vein in her temple twitch. Trust the woman to call only to irate her… "Kushina-san…couldn't you have just left me a message or call later?"

"Ara…but I called at your house, and your mother told me you had just left." Kushina's voice was far from being apologetic though. Kahoko could swear she was enjoying this…

"Fine…have you told the rest yet?"

"No. I'll be calling them later this afternoon. Oh, and don't forget Mio-san's designs! Bring them when you get here, please."

Kahoko refrained from rolling her eyes, "Yes, yes. I have to go now, Kushina-san." She pocketed her mobile and sighed. She should not have mentioned Mio to Kushina… Kahoko wilted at the memory, but forced herself to get a move on. She could worry about other things later; right now, she had a class to attend.

o0o0o0o

"Why…does…the school…have to…be this…f-far?" Kahoko gulped lungfuls of air as she stretched out an arm to lean against the statue in front of Seisou Academy. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked up. She had to catch her breath before she could take another step, or she'd collapse right here!

_Why won't anybody take notice of me?!_

A child-like voice from somewhere above made her stop. Kahoko looked up. With a yelp she stepped backwards and landed on her butt, her eyes widening in disbelief. N-no way!

Floating in the air above her was a small, winged…thing!

Kahoko blinked several times, her mouth agape. "W-w-what the…?" She scrambled to get away, ignoring the fact that her uniform was now covered in dust. What the hell?!

The small blue and winged…thing…hovered a few inches above her, translucent wings flapping like mad. It took a few moments for Kahoko to realize that it was talking to her, its voice slightly high-pitched and definitely child-like. It looked like a miniature human, wearing blue clothes and waving around a small wand almost as tall as it was.

"Eh? Can you see me?" The thing hovered in front of her, its deep blue eyes shimmering in delight. "Can you hear me? You can, can't you?"

"Nyah!" Kahoko yelped and frantically pushed back, eyeing the thing with undisguised horror. "Get away from me!"

The thing frowned at her. "Hey, there's no need for that. I'm a fairy!" It puffed its chest with pride. "Lilly's my name, and I'm—eh? Hey wait!"

Kahoko had already turned tail and fled, running towards the General Course building as if her life depended on it. Lilly wilted, frowning, and sighed. "That could've gone better…still though!" And here he put on a brave, determined face, "I've already got someone to participate in this year's concours!" He brightened considerably after that, his wings flapping happily as he brandished his wand, releasing green motes of magic.

In the back of the school, near the landscaped gardens, Seisou Academy's carillon began to toll, their rolling sound echoing throughout the school.

o0o0o0o

The door to Class 2-2 were pushed open with a loud clack. Several students turned their heads at the sudden commotion, to find Hino Kahoko grabbing at the doorpost for support, panting heavily. Most of the students returned to whatever they were doing, but Kahoko's two best friends, Mio and Nao, looked at her with similar expressions of mild bewilderment.

Mio, who was standing nearest the door, hurried to Kahoko worriedly, her gray eyes heavy with concern. "Kaho-chan! Are you alright?"

Nao, sitting on her seat, frowned at Kahoko. "Did you run all the way here from your house? You shouldn't have, you know; it's homeroom first period."

Kahoko wasn't listening to them. She could hear her heart hammering against her chest, blood still rushing through her ears from her sprint. No way…it's impossible…a fairy?

"Kaho-chan…?"

The slight pressure of Mio's hand on her shoulder pulled Kahoko from her panicked thoughts, and she strained to put on a smile. "Ah…nothing. I'm fine, just out of breath. Homeroom you said?"

Nao rolled her eyes. "Haven't you been listening to me?"

Kahoko gave a weak laugh. "I was thinking about something."

Mio's face suddenly turned bright. "Does this have anything to do with your show tonight?!"

Nao smiled evilly at Kahoko. "Oh yeah. Tonight was…what did Kishino-san call it? Your debut as an idol." Her lips were curved into a smirk.

Kahoko scowled at her. "It's not my debut! It's just the first time I'd be wearing Mio-chan's designs! And keep your voices down, someone might hear you," she hissed at the end, feeling her cheeks go warm.

Seisou Academy was a well-renowned school, and kids who went to the Music Course were mostly privileged. Although the General Course catered to students whose budgets were considerably lower, it was still difficult for Kahoko's family to keep up with all the bills, so she had volunteered to work part-time at one of the town's local bars for a few hours after school. Kishino-san, the owner of _Café Melody_, was her mother's college mate and friend, so Kahoko had no real problems getting her parents' permission.

The problem, as it turned out, stemmed from Kishino-san's eccentric attitude towards managing her club. Kahoko flinched at the very thought; and now to force her to wear all those eccentric costumes…

_To attract more customers, we must do our best! _Kishino's voice rang in Kahoko's head, and an image of the club owner's determined expression swam into view. _So, Kaho-chan, you must do this for the good of _Café Melody_!_

"Ne, Kaho-chan," Mio's voice was hopeful, and she was looking at Kahoko with puppy-eyes. "Can Nao-chan and I come tonight? I want to see how you'd look in one of my designs…please?" Although she would never admit it out loud, Mio's dream was to become a famous designer one day. She'd been drawing costume after costume onto her notebooks, and when Kahoko had mentioned this to Kishino barely two weeks ago, Mio had been ecstatic that her designs would be used to provide the costumes Kahoko would wear for work.

Kahoko groaned. "Even if I say no, Kishino-san would still pull you two to watch."

Nao gave a loud whoop while Mio clapped with glee. "I'll be certain to bring a camera with me!" Kahoko protested loudly, although it was no use. And even if she managed to forbid her friends to bring a camera, she was sure Kishino would have several cameras set up around the stage by the time she came to work that night.

_That old hag…I'll get back at her for this!_

As they settled into their chairs, Kahoko still slightly annoyed, Nao spoke up. "But you know, Kaho-chan, it's really unusual for you to be late. Did something happen?"

The question made Kahoko freeze. "Well…you could, uh, say that," she managed with a weak smile. If only they knew.

As Nao and Mio began a conversation on what they would wear for tonight, Kahoko's mind wandered, thinking about her encounter with the 'fairy' in front of the school, if fairy it really was. But that's impossible. Kahoko frowned as she stared out the window. Fairies don't exist…do they?

o0o0o0o

"Ah…Tsuchiura-kun, thank you again for helping me out like this," Kahoko made a grateful bow towards the tall, tanned soccer player who was carrying most of the books and papers she was supposed to deliver by herself to Class 2-A in the Music Course building.

Tsuchiura Ryoutarou grinned. "No problem at all, Hino. I almost killed you back there, so I guess you could call this payment."

"You saved me, though," Kahoko smiled back. "And it was an accident, really." She gave a little laugh, her cheeks coloring. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Tsuchiura laughed. "Daydreaming?"

"W-well, you could say that," Kahoko lied, her smile still plastered onto her face. The truth was that she was still thinking about that little blue…er, fairy. She _had_ seen a fairy, hadn't she?

The moment they stepped into the Music Course building, eyes seem to follow them everywhere. Kahoko felt discomfited at all the curious and frowning stares; a few actually raised eyebrows. Hushed whispered followed in their wake.

"I-I guess we really stand out here, huh?" Kahoko managed to say in a small voice, unconsciously sidling closer to Tsuchiura, who frowned at the staring students, all dressed in crisp white uniforms, in contrast to their black and gray ensemble.

He gave a small sigh. "I guess. I just don't see why they have to treat us like we were aliens from another planet. We go to the same school, don't we?"

Kahoko agreed wholeheartedly, but the tense atmosphere around them made her hold back. "Anyway, we should look for 2-A…"

They daren't even ask anyone for directions; the students' subtly hostile stance was answer enough. None of the Music Course students would even think of helping them. Such prejudice, Kahoko thought bitterly. It's like we're not even good enough to walk their halls.

Fortunately, it didn't take them long to locate the classroom. Ignoring the stares and whispers, both Kahoko and Tsuchiura stopped in front of the room's threshold, hesitating.

Kahoko fidgeted. "Should we get inside?"

Tsuchiura shrugged. "Well, you were asked to deliver these things."

"Move aside, please."

The cold tone made Kahoko jump, and she turned around quickly. Behind them was a tall young man with cerulean hair and deep gold eyes, face barely concealing impatience and annoyance at finding two people hindering his path. Kahoko could feel a blush rising to her cheeks, a blush that faded as quickly as it had gone. He was quite handsome…but so very cold. He even managed to make 'please' sound like an order.

From Tsuchiura's frown, Kahoko could see her companion was ticked off. "We were asked to deliver these to class 2-A."

The haughty young man walked past them without a backward glance. "That is none of my concern, "he said coolly behind him.

Tsuchiura's face had turned into an angry scowl, a warning sign that prompted Kahoko into action. "Ah, I think I should go inside and put these on the teacher's table, Tsuchiura-kun! It's fine, really." She gave Tsuchiura a smile, grabbing the papers in his arms.

Tsuchiura seemed startled of Kahoko's hand on his arm, but he grudgingly nodded and followed her inside the room. They put the papers and books on the teachers table up front, and Kahoko quickly walked out, hoping Tsuchiura would follow her and not cause a stir.

He did. Kahoko silently thanked all the gods and led the way out of the Music Course building, to the skyway that connected this building to their own. As they walked, Kahoko cleared her throat. "Tsuchiura-kun…you should forget about him, really. He's not worth the trouble, neh?"

"What?" Tsuchiura blinked, clearly spaced out. "Oh, I guess you're right. He just…I dunno, I guess I let him get to my nerves easily."

Kahoko's lips curved into a playful grin. "Eh? A soccer player easily pissed? Doesn't that mean you get a lot of red cards and forced out of matches regularly? Neh, Tsuchiura-kun, I didn't know you played that badly!" she feigned shock.

Tsuchiura laughed, and Kahoko was relieved that she managed to remove Tsuchiura's tension. "You're right, Hino." He glanced at his watch. "That time already? I better get a move on; my class will start any minute now."

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry for making you go through all that trouble!" Kahoko bowed apologetically, ashamed.

Tsuchiura waved at hand in gesture at her and gave her a smile. "Don't worry about it, Hino. But be more careful when you walk near staircases, alright?"

"Yes sir!" Kahoko grinned, bowing again in thanks, as Tsuchiura walked more briskly to catch up with his class. Kahoko stopped in the middle of the skyway, taking her time. It was still her break, so she had time to kill.

"Well, my day started out like crap, but things are definitely going better now," she mused, a smile tugging on her lips as she leaned on the steel rail. She looked wistfully at the clear sky and relished the cool breeze. "Even though it was weird going into the Music Course classroom, at least I made a new friend out of Tsuchiura-kun."

"There you are!"

Kahoko blinked. She turned around. "Did someone just…?"

"Over here!"

Kahoko looked up. "Gah! You!" She pointed at the blue fairy fluttering overhead, who wearing a grin.

The fairy pumped a fist into the air. "I knew it! You _can_ see me, can't you, Hino Kahoko?"

"H-how did you know my name?!" Oh my god, I'm going crazy! This isn't really happening!

The fairy gave her a knowing smile. "I'm a fairy, Hino Kahoko. It's an easy thing for me to know who you are." He opened his arms wide. "My name is Lilly!"

"L-Lilly?"

Lilly was pleased that Hino Kahoko seemed to be listening. He nodded enthusiastically, waving his wand about. "Yes! And I'm pleased to tell you that I've personally chosen you for a very special task!"

Lilly waited for Kahoko's reaction. Silence. "Eh?" He opened his eyes. "Eh?! Not again!" he wailed. Hino Kahoko was nowhere to be seen.

But Lilly was not so easily deterred. Gritting his teeth he set off, his wings fluttering like mad, in search of Hino Kahoko.

o0o0o0o

Mio turned abruptly to the sound of the classroom door pulled open with a loud bang. "What the—? Kaho-chan?"

Kahoko was panting heavily again, her mind working into overdrive. Twice this day—that can't have been just a figment of her imagination!

"Hino Kahoko, it's really rude to run off like that when someone's talking to you."

Kahoko bit back a yelp to see Lilly hovering right behind Mio and Nao, who had walked over to her in concern. Kahoko hardly registered their voices as her focus stayed right on the little blue fairy frowning in disapproval at her.

"You don't have to run off, you know," Lilly continued, his tone hurt. "I'm not going to eat you or anything."

Kahoko gulped, pointing a finger at him. "G-guys…do you see that?"

Mio and Nao blinked at her in confusion, but promptly followed Kahoko's pointing finger. "What is it? I don't see anything unusual, Kaho-chan," replied Nao. She turned to Kahoko with a small frown. "Are you alright?"

Lilly flew in front of Kahoko. "They can't see me you know. Only you can."

It was obviously true, since both Kahoko's friends would be freaking out too if they saw a fairy hovering in front of their faces. Forcing a smile onto her face, Kahoko said, "Er…nothing. I just thought I saw something."

Mao pulled a pout at Kahoko, while Nao sighed and shook her head. "Really, Kahoko, you had us worrying over you for nothing!" Mao said, slightly indignant.

"Sorry," Kahoko apologized sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. She glanced at the fairy visibly only to her.

Lilly gave her a smile. "I'll talk to you later." He waved his wand over his head, and in a swirl of green light, vanished into thin air.

Kahoko blinked several times before she was convinced the fairy had gone. She walked absently to her seat, staring into space. So fairies were real. Huh. Kahoko sighed inwardly, slumping into her chair. What on earth could a fairy want with her?

Kahoko's answer came, unexpectedly enough, during lunch break. As they usually did, Kahoko and her friends pulled their desks together to make a table big enough for the three of them to sit together in as they ate lunch. As Mio pulled up her chair, she said, "Neh, Kaho-chan. Which of my designs are you going to wear tonight?"

Kahoko flinched. Oh darn. She forgot about that. Trying hard not to sigh, she answered, "The black one, with the clover design on the breast."

"Oooh, that's one of my favorites!"

Kahoko groaned. "Apparently, it was one of Kishino-san's favorites, too."

"_Yes, it's this one!"_ _Kishino pointed enthusiastically at one of the drawings on the table. She grinned at Kahoko, who could do nothing at that time but gape like a fish. "It's elegant, it's not too gaudy…and it'll fit really well!" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Kahoko. "And you'll look HOT!"_

Kahoko mustered all of her self-control to stamp down the urge to blush and maintain a calm expression. She ended up with a pained grimace instead. Nao laughed. "I guess that means you don't like it?"

"Even if I hated it, Kishino-san would still make me wear it. Even my mother approved of it!" she frowned, stabbing a fork into her lunch with ferocity. "She said it was about time I had some fun with my work. Fun!"

Nao grinned. "Well, it _is_ fun watching you wail in misery and make a complete fool of yourself."

Kahoko sniffed. "And I called you my friends for what reason again?"

Mao giggled. "Oh Kaho-chan, but you'll look really good in those clothes! And it'll make your performance tonight stand out more!"

Kahoko helped out in many ways at Kishino's bar, but mostly she sang. Nothing too fancy, of course; just lounge songs, to match the atmosphere. But since it was a bar Kishino operated, _Café Melody_ isn't always a lounge bar every night. On Mondays and Wednesdays it was, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays it was just an ordinary coffee shop, while on Fridays and weekends it was a disco bar. Kahoko worked as a singer or a waitress depending on the day, but during the café's disco nights she only went there to enjoy a night out with Mio and Nao, and that only once or two times a month.

Since today was a Wednesday, Kahoko was supposed to sing. Already she had a modest group of admirers, who always came back to hear her perform. But business was slow lately, with the appearance of more modern, fancy clubs on the upper side of town. Kishino's 'marvelous' idea of dressing-up Kahoko had been a way to bring in more customers.

Their conversation was interrupted suddenly when the PA speakers in the room crackled into life, and the principal's voice came through.

"Er…good afternoon, students. I'm pleased to announce that we will have Seisou Academy's concours this year…"

Mio sighed. "The concours," she said dreamily. "Hey, Kaho-chan, have you heard about the rumors spreading around school? About the Violin Romance?"

Nao rolled her eyes. "There she goes again…"

Kahoko raised an eyebrow. "Violin…Romance?"

"U-huh," Mio nodded excitedly. "They said that two rivals in the concours once before had fallen in love! They were both violinists, and they had to compete with each other, but they still fell in love!" Mio gushed, her cheeks turning into a rosy glow. "So romantic…"

The principal's voice came louder this time, drowning out Mio's dreamy sigh. "…announce the participants in the concours. Let's see…" there was the sound of rustling paper. "Ah yes. First, from the Music Course…class 3-B, Yunoki Azuma."

Even here, in the General Course building, Kahoko could see the news was creating a stir. She listened as the principal called off more names.

"Also from 3-B, Hihara Kazuki. From class 2-A, Tsukimori Len."

"Wow," Mao said in awe. "They must be really good."

Kahoko nodded absently, still listening to the announcement.

"Now from class 1-A, Shimizu Keiichi. From 1-B Fuyuumi Shouko…"

"Just as I thought," Nao said. "All of them from the Music Course."

"Yeah," Kahoko agreed. She calmly took a sip of juice just as the principal continued.

"…and lastly from the General Course class 2-2, Hino Kahoko."

Kahoko choked on the juice she was sipping, and for one awful moment she couldn't breathe, until she forced the juice down her throat, coughing madly. "W-what?!" She looked downright alarmed as one by one, her classmates looked at her in confusion. Most in outright shock.

Nao and Mio looked stunned. "He said…he said Hino Kahoko, right?" Nao asked dumbly. Mio nodded, her mouth hanging open.

Kahoko couldn't believe it. "T-That's impossible!" she yelped, standing up. She could hear the rumors and whispers already starting.

"Eh, Hino-san, you're a participant in the concour?"

"Amazing."

"He said 2-2? Then it's definitely Hino."

"But she's a General Course student, right?"

Kahoko could feel the world spinning, and she was suddenly weak, her knees wobbly. Why me?!

o0o0o0o

Kahoko looked at the mirror, scrutinizing Kishino's work with her make-up. Her gold eyes were highlighted by glittering green eye shadow, her lips a deep red. Kishino had put on very little make up considering since, she said, Kahoko barely needed it. But the green shade on her eyes matched the forest shade of the clover emblem on the dress's breast, and the green rhinestones stitched into a lazy ivy design on the bottom hem.

The dress was quite elegant, really. Kahoko couldn't help but admire her outfit. It was a simple cut dress, sleeveless and slim, hugging her figure nicely, with a turtleneck collar. The dress fell straight down, barely touching Kahoko's toes, with a slit on the side that rose only to somewhere above her knees. It was made of black silk, stitched in silver thread, except for the clover and the ivy design. She also had on a pair of black silk gloves that covered her to the elbows.

But Kahoko's eyebrow twitched at the sight of the bat-like wings jutting out behind her. If she didn't know any better, she'd say it was Kishino's twisted idea to add this particular detail.

She turned slightly for a better look. The wings were made of some lightweight cardboard, Kahoko supposed, because she could hardly feel them weighing her down. They were painted black and sprinkled generously with silver glitter. Thin black threads hung from the tips of the wings and dangled like delicate spider's web, where a few green rhinestones and black beads hung, complementing the dress even more.

Kahoko frowned at the mirror. She looked nice with the dress. Add the wings and she looked…almost mystical. Fairy-like.

The word struck a chorn within Kahoko, and she twitched, her eyes unconsciously drawn to the large, long red case sitting on a chair in the corner. Inside was the violin Lilly the fairy had given her that afternoon, the one he proclaimed was magical.

Kahoko closed her eyes, trying to shut out the memory. No, she wasn't going to think about that right now. Right now she had work. She would deal with the violin later.

There was a knock on the door, and Kahoko's eyes flew open. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Mio and Nao, both dressed casually in jeans and shirts, having gotten used to visiting Kahoko at Café Melody whenever she sang. Mio squealed excitedly when she saw Kahoko standing in front of the mirror. "Oh my God, Kaho-chan, you look great!"

Nao whistled. "Nice," she smirked.

Kahoko scowled at them. She pointed at her feet. "These shoes are killing me," she grumbled. She had on strapped, high-heeled sandals of black leather, with rhinestone detail on the tip in the shape of small clovers.

Mio smiled almost condescendingly at Kahoko. "Kaho-chan, your shoes are lovely."

"They hurt."

"All for the sake of beauty," came Kishino's voice, and then she strode into the room, her dark eyes twinkling. She gave Kahoko a thumbs-up sign and a wink. "Alright! You look great, Kaho-chan!" Mio agreed with a happy giggle.

Kahoko transferred her scowl to Kishino, who was wearing the bartender's uniform, a simple white button-up blouse and a black vest with a red bow tie. Although as old as Kahoko's mother, Kishino looked younger. Probably because she had styled her hair in a fashionable bob cut, orange highlights between her normally midnight hair. "You owe me double pay for this Kishino-san."

"Only if you can attract double the usual number of customers tonight," Kishino smirked.

"Double?" Kahoko repeated, aghast. "That's impossible!"

"Not with you in that dress, it's not," Kishino answered confidently. "And if you don't…well, Mio's got plenty more designs. Right Mio?"

"Oh yes. Plenty," Mio replied happily.

Kahoko groaned. There was no way she could win this argument. Her eyes strayed off to the violin and its case. She was definitely no violinist; she hadn't even touched a violin her entire life! Somehow, Kahoko thought, she would convince Lilly that she could not possibly play a violin, magically or not. It was impossible.

Kahoko left the room with Kishino and her friends, putting the violin at the back of her mind as she hummed the tune of the songs she would sing that night. There was absolutely no way in hell she would participate in that damn concours!

o0o0o0o

_End of Chapter 1._

_Chapter 2: Without Voice_

_More of the Author's notes: So how was my first shot at a La Corda D'Oro fanfic? Not too horrible, I hope? Please send in your reviews to tell me what you think, so I can decide if continuing the story would be worthwhile or not. To those who're asking 'where's the lemon?', it'll be posted in following chapters, don't worry._


	2. Without Voice

Unsung, Untold

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda D'Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: You may have noticed, but I have strayed very little from the main plotline in the first chapter. It's still AU though, since Kahoko is well, different. And there will be changes, too, which tend to be on the—ehem—more mature side of things._

_Warnings and Disclaimers: All La Corda D'Oro names, places, items, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. Only the plot, OCs, and writing style are mine. This story is rated M for graphic sexual scenes (in later chapters) and mature content. Not to your liking? Then please push the back button to spare your sanity._

**Chapter 2: Without Voice**

**The notes stirred the air,**

**The melody pure and true;**

**Without voice, without care**

**His message, a multi-colored hue**

The next morning Kahoko woke up bright and early, and very much determined to find Lilly and give him back the violin. She had thought it over last night the moment she got off work, all the way to her house. As she smoothed out the creases on her uniform, Kahoko took a quick glance at the red case sitting atop her bed. Yes, the best thing would be to return the violin.

After fixing the red tie that signified she was a sophomore, Kahoko took her school bag and the violin case, and walked purposely out of her room.

Her mother looked up from fixing Kahoko's lunch in the kitchen when she heard the thudding of footsteps on the stairs. "Kahoko? Is that you? Breakfast is ready." She wrapped Kahoko's lunch and put it down on the table. "Oh? What's that?"

"Huh?" Kahoko looked up from her toast, to find her mother looking at the violin case. It struck her then that she hadn't told her mother a peep about the violin. Well, what was she supposed to say? That she found it on the street? "Er…it's nothing. Just something I borrowed from Nao, Mama."

"Oh." Kahoko's mother smiled. "And how was work last night?"

Kahoko's eyebrow twitched. "Fine," she replied tersely, keeping her voice neutral. She made a mental note to herself to collect all the film and developed pictures Kishino-san, Mio and Nao might have stashed away.

"Kishino said she would give me a picture today."

Kahoko dropped her fork. "Wha…?" She could feel her cheeks starting to burn.

"Oh come now, Kahoko. Kishino already showed me a drawing of the dress. Your friend Mio-chan drew it, didn't she? And I truly think the dress was beautiful." She sighed in a dreamy way. "And now I get to see my little baby Kaho-chan dress like a woman!"

"M-mama!" Kahoko was scandalized. "I'm only in high school!"

"A young woman, I know," her mother replied with a sigh, wiping an imaginary tear. "And still with no boyfriend at all…"

"I'm going now!" Kahoko, furious, stomped out of the kitchen and roughly grabbed her bag and the violin case. Really!

"Oh, Kaho-chan," her mother called after her sweetly. "You forget your lunch."

Kahoko grumbled under her breath as she walked back inside the kitchen, snatched the lunch out of her mother's hand, muttered a quick 'thanks', and left the house.

"Ara," Kahoko's mother mused with a smile, "I might have struck a nerve? Have a nice day at school!" she called out loudly as the front door closed with a click.

o0o0o0o

Kahoko opened the door to her class room, and was delighted to find she had arrived first. She looked up at the wall clock over the black board. She had almost an hour before classes started. Perfect. Dropping her bag onto her seat she took the violin case in one hand and went straight to the practice hall, which was inside the Music Course building.

The practice hall was actually one long corridor with small practice rooms on either side, separated by sound-proof walls. Because it was still so early, most of the rooms were empty. So were the halls she passed; Kahoko encountered no Music Course student on her way.

If she remembered correctly, it was this room to her left…Kahoko opened the door and saw a grand piano sitting in the middle of the room, the polished wooden floor reflecting an image of the piano's sleek black underside. To the far wall on her left hung a small painting of a garden in full bloom. Opposite her was a window curtained in white lace, a small white vase with a single rose in it sitting on the window sill. Kahoko smiled. Yes, this was the room she was looking for, the one where she had met Lilly yesterday.

"Lilly! Lilly where are you?" Kahoko looked around as she called for the music fairy, placing the violin case on top of the piano. "I need to talk to you!"

Shimmering light caught her eye, and Kahoko turned, to see Lilly materializing in the middle of it. The little blue fairy smiled happily at her. "You called?"

"I did," Kahoko pointed at the violin case. "I'm giving the violin back. No way can I play it. And I'm planning on withdrawing from the concours."

"What? Why?" Lilly was stunned at first, then confused, then mildly angry. He frowned at Kahoko. "You can't do that!"

"But I don't know how to play the violin!" Kahoko protested. "Pick someone else."

"But there is no one else," Lilly said sadly, settling on the edge of the grand piano, his little shoulders slumped. "You're the first human to see me in a very long time, Hino Kahoko."

Kahoko blinked. "You can't be serious! Can't you use your magic and pick someone? I mean, this is a magic violin right?"

Lilly nodded.

"You told me anyone can play it. So just about anyone is fine!"

"But this violin is special," Lilly countered. "It might be magical, but only someone who can see a fairy like me must play it!"

Kahoko huffed. "Why?"

"Because humans who can see fairies like me are special. They have innate musical talent and their hearts can understand what fairies of music feel," Lilly looked at Kahoko pleadingly. "You have a natural ability for music, Hino Kahoko, I know you do!"

Kahoko grunted. "I can sing," she admitted grudgingly.

"See? And I'm pretty sure your heart understands what I'm talking about." Lilly stood up, although being only about as tall as Kahoko's hand, it didn't really make much of an impression. He was smiling confidently at Kahoko.

Kahoko sighed. "So how am I going to learn about playing the violin?" She paused. "Come to think of it, I have absolutely no idea about classical music! Kami, I don't even listen to classical music!"

"That's an easy question!" Lilly had fluttered up into the air again, his smile as wide as ever. "You have to practice, Hino Kahoko!" He waved his wand again, and with a pop, vanished.

"Hey wait a minute!" Kahoko was startled at Lilly's sudden disappearance, but a scowl soon followed her shocked expression. "I haven't finished talking with you yet! Really…" she stomped a foot childishly in frustration. It was unfair! Lilly shouldn't be able to pop his way out of conversations!

Since it was futile trying to call Lilly again, Kahoko reluctantly took the violin case again. When she turned, there was someone at the door, frowning at her.

It was the sophomore Music Course student from yesterday. He was holding a case almost similar to her own, except that it was blue. A violin? Kahoko blinked, eyeing the case. He plays the violin?

"What are you doing here?" his cold tone of voice snapped Kahoko out of her reverie. His frown deepened. "Aren't you a General Course student?"

Kahoko could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. She bowed in apology. "Ah, I'm sorry, I—"

"I booked this practice room for the entire day. You'll have to find another room if you want to practice," he cut her off curtly, opening the door wider and stepping aside. His actions were quite clear.

Kahoko mumbled an apology again as she rushed to leave the room, quite flustered. He was right; she was a General Course student, and she had no real purpose coming into the practice hall. But did he have to be so…so bitchy about it? Kahoko sighed. Never mind. He wouldn't know that she was _the_ General Course student unfortunate enough to be picked for the concours. It was only normal for him to be suspicious of her presence in the practice hall.

As she walked away, Kahoko looked back with a slight frown. "At least he could have been nice about it."

o0o0o0o

Against her better judgement, Kahoko decided to try if she could play the violin or not. That afternoon, after classes, she told Mio and Nao that they could go home without her; she had something important to do first.

"But your work, Hino-chan," Nao said. "You're not going to help out at Café Melody?"

"I only need to work on Mondays and Wednesdays anyway," Kahoko replied. "I only offer to help waiter because I don't really have much to do, and it's extra pay."

"Oh. Well, see you tomorrow then!"

After Nao and Mio left, Kahoko hefted her school bag in one hand and the violin case in the other. She left the class room…and stopped. Where was she going to do this?

After a few moments she shrugged. "Let's just try walking around for a while." She wandered around Seisou Academy, bag and violin case in hand. The sky was a riot of purple and pink hues, the sun nearing the horizon. She looked around. No, practicing in a place where people could see and hear her was NOT a good idea. What if she made a perfect fool of herself?

"Oh yeah! The practice hall," Kahoko brightened. She could just borrow a room for an hour. Quickening her pace, she turned and made a beeline for the Music Course building.

Nearing one of the skyways that connected this building to the Music Course department, Kahoko stopped when she heard voices. As she rounded a corner, she saw four female students in the middle of the skyway. Three of them were sophomores, and they were talking to a freshman. Kahoko stepped closer, and voices drifted towards her.

"A freshman like you don't deserve to participate in the concours," smirked the second year in the middle, long pink-hued hair flowing to her waist and curling delicately at the tips. She eyed the freshman in front of her with disdain. "You can't possibly be at par with Yunoki-sama."

The freshman, a pale girl with short, blue-green hair, flinched. Kahoko could see her face, ashamed and hurt, her eyes cast on the floor. The other two sophomores nodded in agreement to their companion's words.

Kahoko's anger flared. Striding up to them, she frowned. "Now wait just a darn minute! Just who do you think you are to be picking a fight with her?"

The three other students looked startled at Kahoko's sudden appearance. The pink-haired girl recovered first, seeing the violin case in Kahoko's hand. "Oh look, it's the General Course student picked for the concours." She sneered, and her friends simpered behind their hands. "Standing up for the little freshman, are you?"

Kahoko growled behind her throat. These idiots were really getting on her nerves. "Just because you no-brainers hadn't been picked for the concours doesn't mean you have to go venting out your frustrations on her!" she gestured emphatically to the girl standing behind her.

"S-senpai…" the girl mumbled feebly, looking very much distressed.

Kahoko could see the pink-haired girl's eyebrow twitch in anger. She blinked, and then the words she had just said seemed to dawn upon her. Oh shit! I picked a fight with Music Course students! Gah!

The three other sophomores seemed to have realized this, too, and were smirking in a very superior manner at Kahoko. "Then, Miss general Course student, I don't think it would be too much trouble to ask you to play for us? Just a little demonstration to show that you're right." The pink-haired girl's smirk widened. "I mean, you've been picked for the concours, haven't you? You must be good then."

"If you don't," one of her companions added, "then that means we'll have to make you take back your words. Kneeling in front of us would be sufficient, for a start…" she chuckled.

Kahoko bit her inner lip. Now what?

_That's not any ordinary violin._ Lilly's voice echoed inside her head. _It's a magical violin. Anyone can play it!_

That's right. Kahoko unconsciously tightened her grip on the handle. It's magic…so she'd be able to play it. "Alright," she said out loud. "I'll play." She ignored the widened smirks from the Music Course students watching her. She took out the violin and the bow, gripping the latter tightly in her right hand.

Arrogant bitches…fine, I'll play, darn them! As long as it's this violin anyway… Kahoko placed the violin underneath her chin, rested the bow on the string, and played a note.

Or at least, she tried to play a note.

Even Kahoko winced inwardly at the sound that came out, like the bleating of a sheep being put to slaughter. A very hoarse, very frantic sheep. The freshman behind her gasped. The sophomores before her scowled dangerously, but Kahoko's attention was all on the violin and the bow in her hands. Why hadn't the magic worked?

"Are you insulting us?!" The sophomores had advanced a step, their voices taking on a dangerous tone. "Do you think we're too much beneath you that you don't want to play anything at all?" An evil smirk grew on the pink-haired girl's face. "Or can you even play at all?"

Her words stabbed deeply, wounding Kahoko. Shame, anger, and confusion filled her to her toes, and she bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. Had Lilly lied to her? Is there really no magic? Did the music fairy make an error and picked the wrong girl?

"Kaho-chan!"

The voice startled Kahoko out of her increasingly panicked thoughts, and she turned around. "H-Hihara-senpai!" Kahoko was startled to find him there, and embarrassment colored her cheeks. Oh no; if he heard that, he'd be suspicious that I was chosen for the con—

"Well, if it isn't Hino-san. What are you doing here?"

Kahoko knew that voice. It was Yunoki Azuma, the flute specialist, one of the other participants in the concours. She had met them both yesterday when she had approached Kanazawa-sensei about her being 'accidentally' included in the list of participants in the concours, but what surprised her was that it didn't seem to be so.

"_You did see…THAT, didn't you?" Kanazawa-sensei looked at her meaningfully, studying her reaction. "You must have, else the principal wouldn't have included your name."_

"_With that…you mean…?" Kahoko's eyes grew round as saucers as she realized what Kanazawa-sensei was telling her. "Then you can see him too?!"_

"_Nope. I just told you what the principal told me."_

Kahoko blinked as she concentrated back on her current situation. Yunoki-senpai was suddenly there beside her, his beautiful face framed by long locks of purple hair a bit too close for her comfort. "Is something the matter, Kaho-san? You look rather pale."

Kahoko couldn't help but blush. It should be illegal for anyone to be this beautiful! "I am—er, well I'm fine. I'm fine, ha ha." She managed to smile weakly. Wanting to look away from Yunoki-senpai's eyes, she glanced at where the sophomore students were standing, and blinked in amazement.

They were staring at her—or rather, at Yunoki-senpai with a mixture of lovestruck awe and disbelief. They seemed thunderstruck that Yunoki-senpai was being so intimate with someone like her. In truth, Kahoko was just as confused as they were at the flute specialist's behavior. He had been so charming and courteous yesterday!

Kahoko tried to step back from Yunoki, but was frozen to the spot when Yunoki placed a hand on Kahoko's cheek, his face in a slight frown. "Hino-san, I know it must be difficult for someone like yourself to be so suddenly involved in the concours," his tone was genuinely worried, "but I know you will do very well." He turned to the sophomore girls with a kind smile. "And we'll show her our support, won't we?"

All three of them flinched as if struck. "O-of course we will, Yunoki-sama!" all three of them answered in unison. "We just wanted to see how well she can play, given the fact that she was chosen for the concours, when there are plenty of Music Course students who would do very well to be included, too!"

"Wait a minute!"

All of them, including the three sophomores, stopped and looked. A girl wearing the black and gray uniform of a General Course student strode in their midst, her long and wavy orange hair bright in the afternoon light. She had a pen and mini notebook in her hand, an old-style single lens camera hanging on a strap wound around her neck. She was grinning. "I came hear to ask a few questions from our concours participants, and it seems I've stumbled in on a very interesting scoop."

The pink-haired girl looked warily at her. "Who are you?"

"Amou, a second year student, and member of the Press Club." She smiled at all of them. "I happened to overhear what you three were saying, and I, for one, am also curious about our General Course participant." She gave Kahoko a quick glance before returning her attention to the three Music Course students. "Would it be alright if we re-scheduled her performance to another date and place, so I can be there too? I'd like to include it in my story."

One of the other sophomores, with long, brown hair, smirked. "Well, why not? We'll see you a week from now, by the statue in front of the school."

"Great!" Amou agreed, smiling.

Hey wait a minute! Kahoko wanted to argue. Isn't this supposed to be my decision, too?!

Amou, sensing Kahoko's distress, leaned into her and whispered, "Don't you think this is better than dealing with them right now? A performance in front of everyone would lay all their doubts to rest once and for all."

Kahoko knew she was right, so she grudgingly nodded.

The three sophomores had bowed once to Yunoki and left, leaving Kahoko with Amou, Hihara-senpai, Yunoki-senpai, and the pale freshman. By that time Yunoki had released Kahoko, to her relief, and was tilting his head, his face thoughtful. "Hmm. Curious; why did they leave all of a sudden?"

Hihara Kazuki sighed behind him, shaking his head. "Well, we don't really know what goes on in the circle of Yunoki Bodyguards."

Kahoko blinked. "Yunoki…Bodyguards?"

Hihara willingly explained. "They're Yunoki's fanclub, made up of girls mostly. The three sophomores earlier were the top three members."

"Well," Yunoki smiled, "it's not as great as it sounds, really."

"Oh." Kahoko glanced at Yunoki-senpai, who was smiling at her. Yeah, she could believe someone like Yunoki would have a fanclub like that. She looked down and realized she was still holding the violin. With a start she put it back inside the case.

"Ano…" a timid voice made Kahoko look up. It was the pale freshman girl. "I-I'm Fuyuumi, a freshman. I'm really sorry, this is all my fault." She bowed deeply in apology.

"Please don't, it's nothing really," Kahoko smiled at her, liking Fuyuumi-chan instantly. She seemed so shy and timid, and Kahoko felt she was also very nice and kind. "None of this is your fault." It's actually mine; sometime in the future, I really need to learn how to keep my mouth shut!

When she turned Amou was on her, notebook and pen at the ready. "Hino-san, the Press Club has mountains of questions we'd like to ask you!" she said excitedly, her blue eyes sparkling. "Out of all the concours participants, you're the only one we don't have any track record of! So, how long have you been playing the violin? Have you participated in contests before this? Who was your teacher? Your inspiration?"

Kahoko stepped back, suddenly frightened. Blindly groping for the violin case, she said, "I'm really sorry, Amou-san, but I suddenly remembered something I had to do. B-bye!" And she turned and fled.

Amou tried calling her back, but Kahoko was already too far for her to catch up. "Oh jeez," she mumbled, disappointed. "And I really wanted to know her, too."

o0o0o0o

Kahoko badly wanted to talk to Lilly, but knew she couldn't go back to the practice room. An image of a cold, frowning face came to her. That person must still be in the room; didn't he say he had it booked for the entire day?

She began to wander around the school again, until she came to the area directly behind the Music Course building. As she walked, violin case still in hand, her thoughts wandered. What happened back at the skyway? Why didn't the violin work? Lilly couldn't have lied to her, could he? Well sure, before all of this she didn't really believe fairies existed, but Lilly was living, fluttering proof, so why didn't the magic—woah!

Kahoko promptly tripped on something and fell to the grassy ground with a thud, the violin case flying from her grasp to land safely on top of a bush nearby. Pain made her knees and elbows throb, which had been scraped rather roughly on the grass upon her impact. Wincing, Kahoko sat up and began dusting herself, wondering what on earth had made her trip.

Kahoko did a double-take when she saw a young man curled up on the ground beside her, fast asleep. Long, dark eyelashes contrasted starkly with his smooth, pale complexion, his head a riot of pale, sandy-blond hair. Kahoko's breath actually caught in her throat. It's a bishounen! A real, live bishounen!

His blue tie and light-colored uniform labeled him a freshman, and a Music Course student to boot. A book lay opened near his head. For a moment Kahoko only stared at him. He looks so peaceful…hang on, he shouldn't be sleeping here! Stirring from her musings Kahoko kneeled beside the sleeping boy and nudged him awake.

Glassy, teal-colored eyes opened sleepily and regarded Kahoko with a mild, nonplussed expression. Kahoko worriedly shook him slightly to wake him up even more. "Hey, you shouldn't be sleeping out here! What if you catch a cold?"

"Huh?" His voice came out in a slow, sleepy tone. Kahoko eyed him worriedly. Was he sick? "Hey, are you alright?"

Those teal eyes looked up at her. "Oh. Yes. I'm alright, thank you…" his eyes traveled down to Kahoko's red tie. "…Senpai."

Kahoko smiled at him, dubious. Is he really alright?

She helped him up and he bowed slightly to her, thanking her before walking away in a slow march. Kahoko doubted if he could make it home like that, but he seemed fine enough. She sighed, grabbing the violin case again. Music Course students were strange, the whole lot of them…

That was when she heard it.

Kahoko stopped, listening. The notes seemed to reverberate through her, their soulful tones delicate and ephemeral, warming her. It was a song she did not recognize, but it stirred her heart so much that she did not realize she was walking towards its source, wanting to hear more.

There, by that window. Kahoko, enchanted by the music, went closer to listen, her eyes closed, a dreamy smile on her face. A soft, afternoon breeze stirred her hair, and her soul seemed to soar as the music grew, the notes higher, thrilling her.

When the music stopped abruptly, Kahoko's eyes flew open, to see the blue-haired young man looking at her in surprise, the violin poised in his hands.

"What are you doing out there?" His tone was sharp, harsh, and demanding.

But Kahoko was too caught up in the music to care. She took a step closer. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed. "What was that music called? You played it so well, I was totally impressed!"

The young man glared at her. "Don't say those things carelessly," he snapped. "Flattery is nice, but—"

"Oh, but that's not what I meant!" Kahoko smiled, remembering the sound with her eyes half-closed. "The notes flowed and seemed so magical…I could feel the music in my heart." She opened her eyes and looked at him, pure honesty in her face. "I didn't know the violin could make such a beautiful sound!"

She realized her mistake a second too late, watching the young man wear an inscrutable expression. Oh crap…there I go with my mouth again! She blushed, embarrassed. "I…I'm so sorry! I interrupted your practice, didn't I? Um…bye!" She fled, carrying the violin with her. Kahoko, you idiot! You made yourself look a proper fool; happy now?!

Back inside the practice room, Tsukimori Len frowned, one hand raking through his hair, wondering what all of that was about.

o0o0o0o

The sun was already halfway set when Kahoko decided to give up searching for Lilly. She was on the rooftop, where several benches had been arranged in a square to accommodate students who wanted to practice in the open air, or at least pass away the time in relative peace. She sighed, one hand on the violin case, her mind on the music she had heard barely an hour ago.

Such beautiful music…Kahoko wanted to hear more of it. She frowned despairingly. If only she could play like that, make sounds that stirred her soul like that. She glanced at the violin case. With a soft click she had it opened; revealing the sleek violin Lilly gave her. Its body was varnished a deep red-brown color, like dried blood. It felt smooth in her hands. Kahoko had not realized she had picked it up and placed it under her chin until the bow was already atop the string.

Well, trying again wouldn't hurt, would it?

She drew the bow in one fluid movement and gasped in surprise. "I…I managed to play a note!"

How did that song go again? It went something like this, I think…

o0o0o0o

Kishino stopped wiping the table's surface and smiled when she saw Kaho-chan walk in. "Hey, Kaho-chan! Here to waiter for me?"

"What? Oh yes."

Kishino tilted her head. "Something on your mind, darling?"

Kahoko sat on one of the stools at the bar, putting down her bag and the violin case on the floor. Café Melody was open, but there were only a handful of people about. "It's nothing, Kishino-san. Just school work."

"School work, huh?" Kishino leaned on the bar. "Well, if it's really important, you don't have to play waitress today. It looks like I won't be having a lot of customers today," she sighed.

"Eh? But what about the band? Aren't Yuji and the others coming?" Kishino had a small band made up of young people around Kahoko's age, and they played most nights. Yuji was Kishino's only son, and the band was made up of his school mates. They usually accompanied Kahoko when she sang, too. They had gradually become her friends, although they didn't attend the same school as she did.

"Exams are coming up, so they won't be coming for the rest of the week," Kishino sighed. But she brightened up almost at once. "Anyway, we did really good last night!"

Kahoko smiled. "I was actually surprised a lot of people came. The café was full!"

Kishino grinned, nodding. "I knew my plan would work." She leaned closer to Kahoko. "And I've got something else in mind, too."

Kahoko looked warily at her. "What is it this time?"

Kishino opened her arms wide. "Themes!"

"T-Themes?"

"Yes! Themes that would go very well with your costume!" Kishino explained excitedly, her voice loud enough to be heard by a few of her patrons. Kahoko could only sweat-drop. "Of course we need to match the songs you'll be playing with the theme, and the band would have matching costumes, too!"

Kahoko managed a laugh at that. "Good luck convincing Yuji to wear costumes, Kishino-san."

"Oh, but he's already agreed," Kishino grinned slyly. "I made a deal with him."

Kahoko blinked in surprise. Yuji actually agreed? "That must be some sweet deal," she said. "What did you tell him?"

"That's a secret," Kishino whispered conspiratorially, earning her an annoyed scowl from Kahoko. Kishino grinned. "Anyway, I want you to be practicing the new songs for each theme after your classes, so everything would go along perfectly. And…eh? Something wrong?" She saw Kahoko's face had drawn down into a frown.

Kahoko squirmed in her stool, worriedly glancing down at the violin case. "Well…Kishino-san, about practicing…I don't think I would be here as often as I have been."

Kishino tilted her head. "Huh? Why?"

"Well…there's this concours at school."

Kishino blinked. "Yeah, but…as far as I know, the Seisou Academy concours are for students who play musical instruments, right?"

Kahoko nodded.

"Kaho-chan…" Kishino leaned over the bar and looked down. She saw the red case. "You play?"

She saw Kahoko's cheeks blush slightly. "Er…yes. A violin."

"A violin, huh? I didn't know that. You must be really good to have been chosen for the concours, right?"

Kishino couldn't see it, but Kahoko had clenched her hands into fists. "Not really…I'm just an amateur."

Is there something more to this? Kishino had known Kahoko for a long time now; she treated her like she would her own daughter. Sensing that now wasn't the time to be probing, Kishino gave her a kindly smile. "Well, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure you'll do fine if you just practice on the weekends. Or anytime you're free, really. I'm sure you'll want to practice for the concours right?"

Kahoko looked up, looking very relieved and extremely grateful. "Thanks, Kishino-san."

"Hey, no problem." Kishino stood back and grinned again. "So how about you play something for me, eh?"

"W-What? Now?"

"Well, we could wait until Christmas, which is about five months from now…"

Kahoko scowled at her. "Fine," she huffed. "I'm playing, I'm playing…"

She took up the violin and played Schubert's _Ave Maria_, the only piece she knew by heart. As Kahoko played, eyes turned to her, and conversation stopped inside the café. Kishino closed her eyes and smiled, listening.

It's so beautiful…it's like Kaho-chan is saying something with the music, even though she's not talking or anything. Kishino felt her heart soften at the melody. Such nostalgia…it's like I'm falling in love all over again.

It was quite different from listening Kahoko sing, but also the same. Why was it? Oh yes, Kishino realized; Kahoko's music was always honest and pure. But this time it's expressed through an instrument, but still so beautiful.

When she was finished, Kahoko was startled to hear a smattering of applause from the handful of customers. Some were even requesting for an encore. She could feel a blush rising to her cheeks, and she rounded on Kishino. "You planned on this, didn't you?! Oh, this is so embarrassing!"

"What? I didn't do anything," Kishino answered with perfect honesty. "I guess they liked your music, too."

"Eh?" Kahoko glanced around the small café and saw the smiling faces. They liked my performance? Unconsciously she gripped the violin tighter in her hand, and a smile crept on her face. This was what Lilly had wanted her to do, right? Make other people enjoy music.

Kahoko put the violin back in its case. She turned to Kishino with a smile. "I'm ready to waiter for you now!"

Kishino smiled back. "That's good."

o0o0o0o

The next day, Kahoko was staring at the music sheet Lilly had given her last afternoon. Gavotte… can she really learn to play this? She frowned dubiously, looking at the notes but not really getting their meaning. At least she had a CD of it; if she could listen to how it was played, maybe she had a chance.

So annoying! Kahoko sighed, tucking the music sheet back into her bag as she walked to school that morning. If only she hadn't picked a fight with those Music Course students, she wouldn't be worrying so much at this!

"Kaho-chan!"

"Oh, Mio! Good morning!" Kahoko greeted back brightly, seeing her two friends approach. "We're still on tonight, right?"

"Definitely!" Mio answered back, beaming. "I even bought this really cute outfit to wear!"

They had agreed to go to Café Melody tonight and have some fun, since it was disco night at the café. All three of them shared the same interests, including dancing and swimming. It was one of the perks of working for Café Melody that they get drinks and food for free.

Nao had already caught up to them, and had heard the last bit of their conversation. "So we're really going, huh?"

"Of course!" Kahoko replied excitedly. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Well…" Nao prodded at her chin with a finger thoughtfully. "You've been picked for the concours, right? I thought you'd be practicing everyday for it."

"Oh pooh!" Kahoko stuck out her tongue playfully. "That doesn't mean I can't have fun, right?" Mio giggled, agreeing wholeheartedly.

o0o0o0o

"To all concours participants, you are requested to go to the Music Course conference room at lunch."

Kahoko looked uneasily at the other students in the room, feeling quite left out. They were all Music Course students. And even though Hihara-senpai and Yunoki-senpai had greeted her warmly while she entered, and Fuyuumi gave her a shy smile, not everyone was happy to see her. She peeked a quick glance at the young man standing not far from her.

Tsukimori Len, huh? So that's his name. Kahoko watched his slightly annoyed frown and arrogant stance; clearly he didn't like being here with the other participants. Kahoko narrowed her eyes. If she had to make a guess, he's probably thinking this was all a waste of his practice time. Jerk…

But still…she was pleasantly surprised to see that the sleeping freshman she had encountered yesterday was also a concours participant, and that he played the cello. Vaguely she wondered if he was able to carry the large instrument around if he always looked so sleepy, as if he'd nod off at any moment.

Kanazawa-sensei looked at everyone. "Well, you're all here now? Good. To tell the truth, it was the principal's idea that I call all of you here. He said it would be better if you all got to know each other."

They introduced themselves one by one. Kahoko had a hard time fixing names to their faces. As Kanazawa-sensei began again, a shrill ringing sound interrupted him.

"Oh!" Kahoko felt a blush rising in her cheeks as she fumbled in her pockets. "That's my phone--!" She turned around and walked a ways from them. "Hello? Kishino-san?"

"Yo!" came Kishino's energetic voice. "How are you doing, Kaho-chan?"

Kahoko could feel a headache coming on. "Kishino-san…could you please call later? I'm in the middle of something here."

"Oh don't worry. This won't take long."

Kahoko sighed. "Oh alright. What is it?"

"You and your friends will be here tonight, right?"

"Yes."

"Perfect!" Kishino's voice seemed…overly happy. It made Kahoko worry. "Then you can pick up the lyrics of the song you'll be performing for Monday. Don't worry; it's something you have in one of the CDs I lent you. Oh, and you'll be wearing that fantastic black dress again!"

"What!" Kahoko exclaimed loudly. She glared at her phone. "No way am I going to wear that again!"

"Oh, but we've had such positive response from our customers!" Kishino replied, her tone quite clear that she wouldn't back down. "And it would be perfect for the song, too. If you're lucky, you'd be sending a few men home with nosebleeds!" Kishino cackled evilly from the other end.

"W-Why would I want to do that?!" Kahoko blushed fiercely, the image disturbing her greatly. "Why are you such a perverted woman, anyway?"

"Guess what? I've also decided to name the dresses you'll be wearing," Kishino continued as if she hadn't heard. "And I've named the black dress…the Dark Seductress!"

"D-Dark…Seductress?" Kahoko repeated faintly. Then she recovered quickly. "What the hell kind of name is Dark Seductress?!"

"Well, that's all darling. And if Mio has more designs, tell her to bring them later, ok? Bye!" The line went dead before Kahoko could protest. She groaned as she pocketed the phone. "Jeez that woman…I can't believe she would go so far as name a dress! I…eh?"

Everyone in the room looked strangely at her. Kanazawa-sensei was at a loss, greatly confused. What was all that about?

Fuyuumi was blushing, surprised when she heard Kaho-senpai said 'Dark Seductress'. Oh my…was Kaho-senpai into those kinds of things?

Shimizu looked out of it, staring blankly into space, but inside he was also wondering what Kaho-senpai had said. And her voice had been so shrill…it sounded like a violin being played too harshly. Not a very nice sound.

The other concours participants though, had varying degrees of blushes on their face. The worse by far was Hihara's. The words 'Dark Seductress' had struck them differently, but they were all thinking along the same lines. Was Hino referring to herself?

Kahoko wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Again, her mouth had put her in trouble! Bowing frantically, she said, "I'm very sorry! Please forget what you've heard! It's nothing to bother all of you, really!" Inside though, she wanted to scream. She knew it; one of these days she'd have Kishino pay for all the trouble she's causing her!

o0o0o0o

_End of Chapter._

_Chapter 3: Unexpected Twists_

_To those waiting for the lemony goodness, please have some patience! They will come, but I have to set the proper mood first…_

_Please do not forget to leave a review. I humbly beg…_


	3. Unexpected Twist

Unsung, Untold

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda D'Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: Please do not forget to review after reading!_

_Warnings and Disclaimers: All La Corda D'Oro names, places, items, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. The song "Kaze no Machi he" is by FictionJunction KEIKO, and was used for the anime series "Tsubasa Chronicles" by CLAMP. Only the plot, OCs, and writing style are mine. This story is rated M for graphic sexual scenes (in later chapters) and mature content. Not to your liking? Then please push the back button to spare your sanity._

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Twists**

The loud rock music thrummed in Kahoko's body as she led the way inside Café Melody, already almost full. Many of the customers were people her age, but none she recognized from Seisou. Café Melody was on the opposite side of town from the school; it was one of the reasons why Kahoko decided to work here. There was very little chance she'd encounter familiar faces.

Not that Kahoko would mind terribly; she wasn't ashamed of having a part-time job, but very few people knew she could sing. A few people smiled and waved as she walked past, and she waved right back. Most of them were frequent visitors to Café Melody, no matter the day of the week, and they recognized Kahoko as a regular fixture of the establishment.

"I found a free table!" Kahoko gestured to Mio and Nao to hurry up, and they took up seats at the table near the corner, grateful of their luck. Kahoko happily noted that at least Café Melody was full during the weekends. Kishino had a knack for choosing DJs who knew how to pick the really good songs. Plus Yuji and the band knew their stuff; they weren't professionals per se, but Kahoko personally thought they were really good. They even had a small fan club at their school.

Nao tugged on Kahoko's arm, using hand signals to say she was going to get their drinks. Kahoko gave her the thumbs-up sign and leaned close to Mio so she could hear. "You weren't kidding when you said your outfit was cute."

Mao smiled right back. She was wearing a yellow halter and a pretty pleated skirt that went just above her knees, with prints in shades of muted orange, brown, and cream. She also had on an earth-brown grommet belt that hung loose on her hips, and a pair of dark brown wedges. "You're not looking too bad yourself."

Kahoko blushed self-consciously. She was wearing a white knitted cover-up over a white tube, with a thick black leather belt for accent. She was wearing a pair of plain black knee-length shorts that showed her pale, shapely calves. To top it off she wore a pair of black pumps with a simple gold detail, and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. "Ah, you don't think it's too much?"

"Too much?" Mio blinked as if in disbelief. "It's great! Did your sister help you pick this outfit?"

Kahoko nodded, smiling ruefully. She really had no fashion sense whatsoever; she always relied on her elder sister's help with picking what clothes to wear whenever she went out with Mio and Nao. She looked around the café, eyeing the cluster of people dancing on the cleared space in the middle of the room. "Should we wait for Nao first?"

"Nah, let's dance!" Mio grinned as she grabbed Kahoko's hand and led the way to the improvised dance floor. Because it was disco night, Kishino had set up a sort of raised platform in the middle of the room where people could dance. All the tables had been swapped for smaller round ones, too, and placed around the platform and on the second floor, which was more like an overhanging part that spanned only half the length of the room. It was built like that so that those on the second floor could see the dance floor below, or in the case of other nights, watch the band or Kahoko sing on stage.

Kahoko half-laughed, half-sang with the music as she swayed her hips and let the beat guide her movements. Mio did the same right beside her. As the song ended abruptly to loud cheers and requests for more, Nao arrived, wearing a childish pout. "Hey! Who says you can go and leave me behind?"

"Oh quit the attitude and get up here!" Kahoko laughed. Nao stuck her tongue out, but in the end she couldn't resist. She was dancing right beside Kahoko and Mio as the second sung began. Kahoko recognized the song as something out of BoA's recent album.

They danced through two more songs before deciding to take a rest. As Kahoko sipped through her drink (Nao had gotten all three of them iced tea), Kishino arrived wearing her usual fox-like grin. "Yo!"

"Kishino-san!" Mio greeted her back cheerfully. "The café's really lively tonight!"

"All thanks to my brilliant promoting skills," the café owner answered smugly. "Of course, I have to give credit to Kaho-chan, too. Without her, I wouldn't have a steady stream of men visit Café Melody on Mondays and Wednesdays."

Nao laughed at that, but Kahoko glared darkly at Kishino. "But if you keep up with the stupid idea of making me wear all those dresses, you'll have to find another singer."

Kishino sidled up to Kahoko, pouting dramatically. "You wouldn't let a poor, old woman down, would you Kahoko?"

"And besides, Kaho-chan, you look great in my dresses!" Mio added.

"But naming the things?!" Kahoko protested.

"You named my dresses, Kishino-san?" Mio asked, her eyes sparkling.

Kishino nodded, grinning cheekily. "Remember the black one Kaho-chan wore? I named it the Dark Seductress."

"Oooh!"

"Stop it," Kahoko snapped, feeling the blood rush to her face. "You're not the one wearing the darn thing."

Nao struggled to keep from laughing. "Don't be such a kill joy, Kaho. I think the name suits the dress really well."

"That's not the half of it," Kishino said, and began telling them about her idea for themes. Both Mio and Nao were ecstatic about it, much to Kahoko's disappointment. She hoped that Nao, at least, found the idea a bit too extreme (and so support her vehement disagreement to the entire thing) but with both of her friends supporting Kishino, she knew she had a snowball's chance in hell of ever stopping the café owner from doing what she wanted.

"Here's the song you'll be singing for Monday." Kishino gave her a sheet of paper with lyrics in it. She winked at Kahoko. "I know you'll like this."

Kahoko looked at the lyrics with a skeptical eye. Finally she looked at Kishino. "This song's different from the ones you usually make me sing."

Kishino shrugged. "Well, it's good to change things once in a while. And it's perfect for the theme this coming week."

"What's the theme anyway?" Nao asked, curious.

Kishino's smile widened. "Nostalgia."

Kahoko raised an eyebrow. "Nostalgia? And you want me to wear the black dress for it?"

"The Dark Seductress," Kishino corrected her. "Yes, you'll be wearing it. You don't want to disappoint your fans, do you?"

Kahoko scowled. "I do not have fans," she said waspishly.

"Sure you do. And if you just let leak around your school that you work part-time as a singer here, you'll have a lot more."

"Definitely impossible," Kahoko shook her head furiously. She looked sharply at her two best friends. "I've sworn Mio and Nao to secrecy about this."

"Sure, sure," Nao said with a shrug. "But you know, Kaho, with the concours and everything, someone would find out about this eventually. I mean, take a look at the Press club reporter, Amou-san. She'd want to dig out tidbits about you, wouldn't she?"

Kahoko groaned. "Thanks for reminding me." She slumped in her seat and smacked her forehead against the table with a dull thud. "And I have to perform for those Music Course students, too. Argh!" She clutched her head in frustration.

"Poor Kaho-chan," Mio patted Kahoko's shoulder gently. "Everything will turn out fine though, you'll see."

"She's right," Nao added. "You'll just have to practice over the weekend."

"Yeah. I guess." Kahoko sighed as she took another sip of her drink. She kept up a brave face and smiled, but worry wormed through her insides. She knew there was no other thing for it but to practice, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Kahoko glanced at the lyrics of the song Kishino wanted her to sing, and wondered how on earth she was going to keep up with everything.

o0o0o0o

Tsuchiura Ryoutarou heaved a sigh of relief as he trudged the path home, thanking Kami he had gotten through the intense training their soccer team had gone through that afternoon. The soccer team captain seemed to believe that training the daylights out of all of them—literally—would boost their stats up considerably for their first upcoming match of the year. Ryou looked up at the already-dark sky, tiny pinpricks of light dotting the huge expanse. It was already late, and what was worse, it was only _Monday_.

He groaned. "Kami give me strength to last the week." He took a path off the side of the road that led to a set of steps, cutting down the hill. It was a shortcut he usually took whenever he had to go home late; it ended at the bottom of the hill, near a street that was about seven blocks away from his house. As he stepped into the street he heard a familiar voice call his name. He turned and saw a few of his classmates hanging out outside of a small café.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ryou walked over to them, noticing that they were all wearing casual shirts and jeans. "Out clubbing?"

"Nah, we wanted to check something out." Anji was two heads shorter than Ryou, but he had a big mouth that usually spouted off the latest gossip. Aside from that though, he was actually a pretty decent guy; he played on the basketball team with Ryou when they were in junior high.

Ryou raised an eyebrow as he slung his bag more securely. "Check something out?"

"My cousin attends this public school in town, see? He's been bugging me to check out the singer in this bar." He gestured with s jerk of his thumb. Ryou looked up at the small establishment. It had two large shop front windows, but the inside was hidden by gauzy white curtains. Warm yellow light spilled from the inside. Over the eaves of the shop was a sign painted in gold over dark-stained wood. It read 'Café Melody'.

Ryou looked dubiously at the café. "Are you sure your cousin wasn't joking?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but he kept pestering me about it. He said one of his friend's mom owned the place, and it's cool enough. Not one of those shady bars." Anji looked over at Ryou. "Want to come with us?"

Ryou sighed. "No, sorry. I just want to get home and sleep. The captain had us all practicing the entire afternoon."

"Aw, c'mon Tsuchiura. It's not like your house is far from here; and I'll buy you a drink. We won't be staying long." Anji dragged Ryou with him without warning, ignoring Ryou's splutterings. Their other classmates helped, too, so Ryou had no other choice but let himself be dragged.

He was expecting a smoke-filled atmosphere and noisy, chattering people. But as they got inside Ryou actually blinked in surprise. The entire place looked…really nice. The café was bright inside, and deliciously warm, with soft murmurs of conversation here and there. It had a second floor that acted somewhat like an indoor balcony, so those who had seats above could watch the performance on stage, which was actually at the other end of the room, just a small raised platform where instruments were already set up, and a microphone on its stand in the forefront. But no singer, or band.

"Seems we're early," Anji murmured, then spotted a vacant table. "Hey, we should sit over there."

Ryou followed Anji to two small tables that were vacant, hugging the corner of the café. It was slightly dim, but Ryou could still see. Their companions took the other table, and a woman came up to them with a smile, wearing a bartender's uniform, holding a pen and small notebook in one hand.

"I've never seen you guys before," she smiled warmly. "New to town?"

"Ah no," Anji replied with a slight smile. "We just heard about this place from a friend."

"That's good," the woman replied. "It's nice to hear my café's being talked about somewhere."

Ryou blinked. "You're the owner?"

"Yep. And manager, and for now also your waitress." She smiled again, her bobbed hair swaying slightly as she turned to him. "Don't worry, I won't be serving you boys alcohol; I have a son just about your age."

Ryou gave her his own smile, relaxing slightly. "I'll just have something to drink, please. Root beer."

"Got it." The woman jotted down his order, and took Anji's and his friends'. When she was finished she looked at Ryou again. "You're from Seisou?"

Ryou blushed slightly, remembering that he was wearing his uniform while Anji and the others weren't. "Yes. We all are."

The woman raised an eyebrow, a smile quirking her lips. For what reason Ryou did not know. "So who told you about my café, hmm?"

"A friend of mine from another school," piped Anji. "We came to see your singer. We heard she was really good."

"Our singer? Oh, you mean _her_." Ryou watched as her smile turned into a foxy grin. "She'll be onstage in just a minute more. I hope you enjoy the stay." She winked at them and went off to get their orders.

Anji blinked at her in confusion. "Why do I get the feeling she's not telling us something?"

Ryou shrugged, but inside he was asking the same thing. He would have wanted to share his thoughts with Anji, but someone was already climbing up the stage and walking over to the microphone. Ryou watched, wide-eyed, as Hino Kahoko filled his vision, wearing a black dress and a pair of slender, bat-like wings, looking like a figure straight out of a fantasy book.

Anji whistled low under his breath. "Wow, Mitskuni wasn't kidding."

The beginning notes to a song unknown to him began to stir the air, and the conversation died down, as all heads turned to watch Hino, standing alone on the stage, her eyes half-closed as she leaned her head closer to the microphone.

_Toki no mukou kaze no machi e, nee, tsureteitte_

_(Take me away across time to the town of wind)_

_shiroi hana no yume kanaete_

_(Grant the dream of my white flower)_

Her voice slid into the song like warm velvet brushing across his skin. Ryou watched her with his mouth slightly open, hardly believing what he was seeing. This was Hino—Hino! A sophomore student in the same school as he was, a clumsy, kind, somewhat flustered girl he had helped just days ago. He heard she had been chosen for the concours, but he had never heard she could sing…

_A__mai yubi de kono te wo tori, nee, tooi michi wo_

_(Take me by the hand with your gentle fingers, I want you to guide me)_

_michibiite hoshii no anata no soba e_

_(To a far-off place, to be by your side.)_

She raised a hand tenderly towards the audience, her eyes closing fully as she sang. Her voice was something ethereal and familiar altogether; Ryou couldn't help but hang onto every word, absorbing the melody with every breath.

_Sono utagoe taenai hirusagari_

_(On this afternoon, though their voices could not sing clearly)_

_mezamete futari wa hitotsu ni nari_

_(Two lovers awake to become one)_

_shiawase no imi wo hajimete shiru no deshou_

_(For the first time, they'll learn the meaning of happiness.)_

_tsureteitte..._

_(Take me away...)_

Hino's voice soared, and Ryou could feel his own heart leap. He let himself be drowned by her song, his eyes never leaving her face, so full of emotion that the song brought out for her. Ryou thought she looked like the most beautiful, out-of-this-world creature that lasted only as long as she sang. He silently prayed she would not stop.

But stop she did as the music died away. Soft murmurs of approval and loud applause came from the audience. Ryou found himself clapping too, as well as his friends. Anji looked dreamily at Hino, sighing. "I think I'm in love."

Ryou couldn't help snorting a laugh. "Good luck with your romance, Romeo. You're gonna need it."

"So," the café owner began with a knowing smile as she put down their drinks on the table. "Did you like her performance? I can introduce you to her, if you'd like."

"Really?" Anji couldn't believe his ears. "That's be great…erm…"

"Kishino Yume," the older woman replied, holding out her hand. She grinned. "Wait here, I'll just go and get her."

Kishino disappeared before Ryou could stop her, and he frowned worriedly. He didn't really know Hino, but if she had wanted to keep her job here a secret, it wouldn't do for him to be here. "Anji, I think I should go home now."

Anji blinked at him. "What? But Kishino-san said—"

"I know, but I'm really tired. Sorry, maybe I'd meet her some other time." He took his bag from the floor and began to stand.

"Are you sure? I mean, can't you finish your juice, at least? I paid for that."

"I'll pay you back tomorrow," Ryou forced a smile. He sidled out of the table, and turned to leave. But a familiar voice stopped him.

"T-Tsuchiura…kun?"

Crap.

Ryou turned around, to find Hino standing not five steps away, her amber eyes wide. He smiled weakly. "Hey, Hino."

o0o0o0o

_End of Chapter 3._


	4. A Violin's Distress

Unsung, Untold

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda D'Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: Please do not forget to review after reading!_

_Warnings and Disclaimers: All La Corda D'Oro names, places, items, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. The song "Rolling Star" is by Yui, and was used for the anime series "BLEACH" by Kubo Tite. Only the plot, OCs, and writing style are mine. This story is rated M for graphic sexual scenes (in later chapters) and mature content. Not to your liking? Then please push the back button to spare your sanity._

**Chapter 4: A Violin's Distress**

Kahoko could feel a cold lump of ice, as heavy as a boulder, settle unpleasantly at the bottom of her stomach the moment she saw the broad back and the head of green hair that could only belong to…she wet her suddenly dry mouth. "T-Tsuchiura…kun?"

The way he stiffened at her voice only confirmed her suspicion. Oh Kami no…

He turned around slowly, and Tsuchiura's face came into view, wearing a slight grin. "Hey, Hino."

His deep voice pulled Kahoko out of her shock, and the blood that had been slowly draining out of her face came back in a rush, and she knew she was now blushing a mad red. She was still wearing the cursed dress from hell! She lowered her eyes to the floor, horrified of what she would see on Tsuchiura's face. "I—this—it's not what you think!" she stuttered, her thoughts flying out the window. Her hands would not stay still; they were clenching and unclenching, her fingers wringing themselves until she thought they would snap. But, Kami, she couldn't stop! "This is…I mean, I work here—I…"

"Yeah. I watched your performance. You're really very good."

"Eh?" Her head snapped up, and saw Tsuchiura smiling at her. Not smirking, or laughing. He was _smiling_. That is good, isn't it? She blinked several times, trying to come up with something to say, but all that came out of her mouth was: "Oh." She could have throttled herself.

"So you know each other?" prompted Kishino, who was grinning from ear to ear, looking first at Kahoko, then Tsuchiura. "Are you class mates by any chance?"

"Ah, no," Kahoko heard Tsuchiura say. "We both belong in the General Course department, though."

"And your other friends?"

"This is Anji." Kahoko looked to see Tsuchiura gesturing to the young man beside him, who grinned and gave her a small wave, which she returned with a small smile. "He's my classmate and friend. The others over there," Tsuchiura pointed at the table next to theirs, "are Houji, Kintaro, and Masai."

They all smiled and bowed in greeting, which she returned in kind. By now Kahoko had calmed somewhat, but a small tinge of pink remained in her cheeks. It felt strange for her to be meeting Tsuchiura's friends—and Tsuchiura himself—wearing a dress that clung to her body and a pair of bat-like wings that made her look like she was cosplaying.

Kahoko felt Kishino's hand pat her shoulder gently. "I'll leave you guys for a while; I still have plenty of customers to look out for. Don't worry, Kaho-chan won't be singing for another half hour or so." She gave Kahoko a wink before leaving.

"Kishino-san!" Kahoko hissed, letting her eyes show panic, pleading for the café owner to get her old hag ass back _this instant!_

But Kishino only waved back and mouthed "You'll be fine!" before giving her a thumbs-up sign.

Kahoko glared at her, but knew she had no choice. Sighing inwardly, she turned to Tsuchiura, who was already out of his chair, his bag slung over one shoulder. "Huh? You're leaving, Tsuchiura-kun?"

"Er…" Tsuchiura was avoiding eye contact with her, and scratched the back of his head. "I was about to go when the café owner came to introduce you…"

Anji snorted. "Kill joy."

Kahoko saw Tsuchiura frown in Anji's direction, before settling back down into his chair. "I figured you wouldn't be too happy to see me here," he said after a while, his voice quiet.

"Ah," Kahoko gave him a sad smile, as she settled into a chair near Anji. "I was hoping to keep this a secret from everyone. I don't really like having people's attention on me." She's had enough of that before, and had no wish to repeat the experience. By her reckoning, it only attracted trouble.

Tsuchiura nodded. He hadn't figured Hino as the secretive type, but then, he hadn't thought she would be a really good singer, too. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with us."

"What?" Anji interrupted, startled. "And I was hoping to brag about this to—ow!" He winced and rubbed at his leg. "The hell was that for, Tsuchiura?!" When Tsuchiura only glared at him, he tutted. "Fine…I'll keep my mouth shut about this." He grumbled.

"Sorry, Hino. Anji's really a nice guy, but sometimes he's a bit of a loudmouth."

"Hey!" Anji's voice was indignant. "I am not!" He jumped in surprise when Kahoko suddenly took his hands and bowed her head to him. "Please, Anji-san, don't tell about this to anyone!"

Anji cleared his throat, attempting to hide the blush that warmed his face. "Um…s-sure."

Kahoko sighed, clearly relieved, and smiled warmly at both of them. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me. Oh!" She blushed again, but mildly this time. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Hino Kahoko, from class 2-2." She offered her hand to Anji, who gladly took it.

"Just call me Anji. Like Tsuchiura said, I'm his classmate. We went to the same junior high school, too."

"Eh? Really?" Kahoko's eyes swiveled to Tsuchiura. "What school did you go to?"

"The local junior high school in town," Tsuchiura replied, sipping at his drink. "How about you?"

"Me?" Kahoko blinked. "Well, I just moved here during freshman year at the Academy. We lived in Tokyo before that."

"Woah, really?" Anji exclaimed.

Kahoko smiled. "It's really not that big of a deal. And pretty much boring." She looked away, staring into space, her smile slipping. Tsuchiura noticed, and cleared his throat. "So Hino, since when have you been working at this café?"

"Hm? Oh, I just started working here over the summer. Kishino-san and my mother were college friends, so it wasn't hard for me to land a job at Café Melody."

"Do you work here everyday?"

Kahoko shook her head. "My schedule varies. But I'm usually here in the afternoon. I sing on Mondays and Wednesdays."

"Hey, Hino-san," Anji said, "Can we come watch you then?"

"E-eh?" Kahoko was blushing like mad again. "Oh, well, that's not really necessary…sure, if you like. Just don't tell anyone else."

Anji grinned. "Got it."

Kahoko squirmed in her seat, but tried her best to smile at Anji. She just wasn't used to meeting people who admired her singing. And know them, too. It was…weird. Of course it didn't count Mio and Nao; they were her friends. When she turned slightly she saw Tsuchiura staring at her. "Tsuchiura-kun? Is something wrong?"

"I was just admiring your dress."

"M-my dress? Oh, I only wear this when I sing." She tried to laugh, which came out shaky. Inwardly she cringed. "I know it looks a bit weird, but Kishino-san said—"

"It looks great on you."

"—that it's…what?" Kahoko's smile slipped. Had she heard it right? "I…thanks, I guess." Feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden, she said, "A-anyway, thanks for visiting the café. I have to go now and…and prepare for the next song." She gave them all a last smile and hurried away.

Tsuchiura watched her go, silently cursing himself for saying something so stupid. 'I was just admiring your dress.'

The lamest line of the century.

Anji sighed beside him. "She's really nice. That's it. I _am_ in love with her."

Tsuchiura rolled his eyes. He had gotten used to Anji's reactions when seeing really beautiful girls. "Oh yeah? Then why'd you not ask for her mobile number?"

Anji shrugged. "I can always ask for it in school." He turned to Tsuchiura, wearing an evil grin. "You like her too, don't you?"

"Me? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Come on, man. Complimenting her dress?" Anji wiggled his eyebrows. "And you were practically ogling her, Tsuchiura. She even noticed."

"Get your mind out of the gutter Anji," Tsuchiura growled, taking a huge swallow of his root beer. "You're just seeing things."

Even as he said it, Tsuchiura could feel that his heart was still beating rapidly, his face still warm, from the way Hino had smiled at him.

o0o0o0o

Ignoring the raised eyebrows and looks of slight incredulity on the Music Course students she passed, Kahoko sighed, her mind still on what happened last Monday. She had spent Tuesday and Wednesday worrying and waiting for the outburst of rumors and gossip about her working in a shady café, but no rumor came, to her great relief.

She trusted Tsuchiura to keep his promise, but she was not so sure about the others. Clearly she had misjudged; they had apparently kept her secret, and now Kahoko felt great shame whenever she remembered how much she mistrusted Tsuchiura's friends. Maybe she could make up to them by being nicer the next time they watched her sing?

Kahoko took a turn when she reached the corner, and began climbing the stairs up to the rooftop. She had found that practicing there was better than reserving a room in the Practice Hall. Up there, she didn't have to endure Music Course students snooping into her practice. Kahoko's eyebrow twitched at the memory; it made her feel uncomfortable, with eyes weighing her to the inch, trying to gauge if she was up to performing for the concours.

She cautiously opened the gray metal door at the landing and peeked through the slight crack. Seeing no one there, she sighed in relief as she swung the door wider and exited the staircase and onto the rooftop. A strong breeze ruffled her dark red hair, and she took in a deep breath. "Hmm, definitely better than practicing in a stuffy room."

As she put down the violin case and her bag onto one of the stone benches, Kahoko glanced at her wristwatch. It was only five minutes into lunch period; she frowned at the thought of not sharing lunch with Mio and Nao again. She had been skipping free periods whenever she could to practice the violin, and as a result, she had less and less time to enjoy with her friends.

There was no other choice, of course. Kahoko frowned, as she took out the violin and the bow, setting up the music sheet for _Gavotte_ on top of the violin case. If she wanted to prevent making an ass of herself tomorrow, she would have to practice, and practice well.

She positioned herself and played out the first notes of the song, then immediately stopped. "No good, it's no good at all," she muttered to herself, frustrated. "It's not how the song is supposed to sound like!" She tried again, concentrating hard, her eyebrows furrowing with her effort. She reached the right notes, but it still felt wrong.

After about half an hour she stopped, feeling her fingers beginning to numb. Kishino-san told her, when she was complaining of muscle cramps, that it was only natural for beginners to feel pain. Her fingers and her neck would get used to playing the violin, she said. It just takes time. And lots of practice.

Kahoko grumbled, sitting down on the cool bench. Why couldn't she get this song right? "And I played the _Ave Maria_ better, too." She wished Lilly was here to help her out, but where could she find the little music fairy anyway? He just pops out of nowhere without her knowing. Kahoko made a mental note to ask Lilly about it the next time he appeared.

She put the violin back into the case, massaging her hands. Maybe she could take a break while her fingers stopped stinging. She rummaged through her bag for her CD player, and found a slip of paper poking through one of her notebooks. Plucking it out and unfolding it, Kahoko saw that it was the next song she was going to sing at the café.

Kahoko sighed. Kishino had picked a song that was more upbeat than the previous one, to suit her theme, 'Youth'. It wasn't a bad song, really. She had heard it over the radio a few times, and it really had a good rhythm, one you could dance to. The problem came with the dress.

_This is what you're wearing!_ Kishino had pulled out of an inconspicuous bag a not-so-inconspicuous outfit. _And what's more, Yuji and his band would be wearing costumes to match yours! Isn't Mio's design just great?!_

Kahoko rubbed her face with her hands, wanting to erase the image of what she would be wearing in a few days. Oh, the humiliation she has to endure for the sake of employment…

The door to the rooftop suddenly swung open. Kahoko turned around quickly, hastily stuffing the lyrics into her bag. She was relieved to see it was Hihara-senpai.

The green-haired third year smiled in recognition when he spotted Kahoko, and he immediately made a beeline for her. "Hino-chan! Good afternoon!" Kahoko vaguely wondered how he could turn such a mild greeting into an explosive noise. Hihara-senpai just always seemed to be bursting with energy.

"Ah, good afternoon," Kahoko returned the greeting in a milder tone, sweatdropping. He reminded her so much of Keiichi. The thought brought a pang to her chest, but she quickly shrugged it off. She eyed the case in his hands. "You're here to practice, too, Hihara-senpai?"

"M-hm!" He grinned again and nodded. "But I see you've already gotten first dibs."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kahoko immediately bowed in apology. "I didn't know you always practiced on the rooftop."

Hihara waved it away. "Oh, don't worry about it. I didn't feel much like practicing today, anyway. I still have orchestra club activities later, and I can practice then. Anyway, what are you practicing?"

Kahoko could feel a blush rise to the fore, but she stubbornly stamped it down. "It's…um, _Gavotte_."

"Eh? That piece?" Hihara smiled. "I've already played that before. It's got a really nice tune."

Kahoko blinked. "You mean, you can play it on the trumpet, too?"

Hihara laughed. "Of course you can! Here, let me show you."

They way he played the song, it was like he wasn't even exerting any effort. Kahoko listened half in awe, half in amusement, as the notes seemed to tickle her ears, jumping in the air. It was exactly how she had heard _Gavotte_ played on the CD.

"How did you manage to play it so well?" Kahoko exclaimed, as Hihara put down his trumpet. "I've been practicing the song for days and it sounded so…forced," she ended lamely. She sighed in frustration. "Oh, I knew I was going to suck at this."

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself Hino-chan." Hihara gave her a reassuring grin. "Try playing the violin just for fun."

"For fun?"

"Yeah!" Hihara grinned at her even more. "Music is supposed to be enjoyed, isn't it? So you gotta have lots of fun whenever you play!"

_Neh, ojou, life is supposed to be enjoyed, right? So I won't let you go around scowling like that and worrying all of us! You should learn to have fun!_

There she was again, thinking about Keiichi. She blinked. It's been such a long time since she remembered anything about her past life in Tokyo. Why would she be reminiscing now? Realizing she was spacing out, Kahoko quickly put on a smile, wracking her head for something to say. "Y-you're right, Hihara-senpai. I should try to have fun."

"Just don't overdo it though," he said in a slightly warning tone, then shook his head dejectedly. "My professors always tell me that's my fault. Sometimes I get carried away with enjoying a performance."

Yes, Hihara-senpai was definitely like Keiichi. Kahoko chuckled.

Hihara made a scandalized noise. "Hey, you're laughing at me!"

"But you're too funny," Kahoko laughed, louder this time, feeling tears of mirth gather at the corner of her eyes. She was too busy being amused with Hihara's uncanny similarity with Keiichi-kun that she missed the slight blush on her senpai's face.

When she got her breath back, Kahoko gave Hihara a grateful smile. "I'll remember what you told me, Hihara-senpai." A bell rang somewhere below them, and Kahoko gave a start. "Wow, it's almost time? I'd better get back to class. Later, Hihara-senpai." She gave him a quick wave and a bow, grabbing her bag and violin case in a hurry before disappearing through the door.

She didn't notice the way Hihara had waved almost absently at her, his voice somewhat off, the blush on his cheeks far from fading.

o0o0o0o

It was half past three in the afternoon. Her supposed performance for the three Music Course students wasn't for another thirty minutes. She glanced at her wrist watch again. Damn it, why did she have to go all fidgety _now_?!

A hand on her shoulder made Kahoko look up. She saw Mio's worried eyes. "Are you alright?"

Kahoko gave her a reassuring smile that did nothing to calm her nerves. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Nao stood beside Mio, watching her. "You could always back out of it, you know. You don't really have to prove anything to those snotty rich-kids."

_Listen to me, little Kaho. In this world, a lot of people will be looking down on you just because they think they're better than everyone else. You have to prove them wrong by showing them what you've got! _The image of a wrinkled face, with a scar on his left brow, grinning from ear to ear, filled Kahoko's vision. _You're not my most favorite granddaughter for nothing! _A loud, brazen laugh that filled her ears and warmed her heart. Kahoko shook herself mentally.

What was it with her and reminiscing today?!

She looked at Nao and smiled. "I won't back out," she said, her voice firm. "And I want to do this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup!" She nodded and gave them both a grin. She stood up from her seat and began to walk towards the classroom door. The room was empty now except for themselves.

"Where are you going?" asked Mio.

"Bathroom. I'll only be a moment." Kahoko waved at them before turning towards the direction of the girls' bathroom, her footsteps loud in the emptying hallway.

When she was there Kahoko went in front of a mirror and stared at her face, frowning slightly. First it had been Keiichi-kun, and now her grandfather. She fingered the mobile phone in her pocket. How was her grandfather now? And her big brother?

A pang of guilt and sadness washed over her. She had not been able to properly give her goodbyes when her mother dragged both Kahoko and her elder sister out of Tokyo. There had not been much time, given the circumstances. And they had no choice. Kahoko closed her eyes as the memories began flooding in a dizzying rush, memories she had kept tightly locked in a corner of her mind.

"Hino Kahoko, is something the matter?"

Kahoko whirled around quickly, her eyes wide. "Lilly! Kami, you almost frightened me to death!" She clutched at her chest, feeling her heart that threatened to jump out of her ribcage. "Mou, you could have knocked or something!"

The music fairy frowned worriedly at her, his translucent wings fluttering. "I wanted to see you before you perform out on the courtyard today." He tilted his head. "You look pale. And sad."

"It's nothing," Kahoko shook her head slightly, faking a smile. "Just nerves." She avoided further questions by turning around to face the mirror again and leaned over to wash her face. Her blouse hiked up just a bit on her back.

Lilly flew a little closer to her now-exposed lower back. "What does this mean?"

"What?" Kahoko wiped the water off her face and shifted to look behind her. "What does what mean?"

The little fairy rose a few inches until he was directly in her line of sight. "The tattoo on your back. I saw a bit of it. It looks like some sort of _mon_…wasn't it?"

Kahoko smiled bitterly. "Yeah, it is."

"What does it mean?"

Kahoko hesitated. She had never told anyone about this, not even Mio and Nao. They would not understand, and even if she hated to admit it, Kahoko was afraid of what they would say. But then, Lilly was a fairy, and although she did not know much about him, Kahoko felt he was trustworthy enough with this secret. Hadn't Lilly entrusted a secret of his own to her, too? "Lilly, can you keep a secret?"

"A secret?" Lilly's face suddenly alighted with interest, but he frowned as he noticed Kahoko's expression. "Of course," he said solemnly.

"The _mon_…it represents the Sumiyoshi-rengo." Kahoko watched Lilly's face for any sign of recognition, but there was none. Only calm patience, waiting for her to continue. Kahoko raised an eyebrow. "You don't know, do you?"

"About what?"

"The Sumiyoshi-rengo." When Lilly shook his head, Kahoko added, "They're also known as the Sumiyoshi-kai."

She watched the music fairy frown, thinking. "What's the Sumiyoshi-kai?"

Kahoko sighed. She looked at Lilly. "The Sumiyoshi-kai is the second largest Yakuza family in Japan." The bitter smile crept onto her lips again, and she looked at herself in the mirror, her words soft and sharp at the same time.

"The Sumiyoshi-kai is my family."

o0o0o0o

_Ojou – a term that means "lady", used by a person of lower rank to address a woman who is nobly born. Nowadays, it's used by servants in a great household to address women of the family they serve._

_Mon – a crest that symbolizes a clan, family, or in this case, a Yakuza clan._

_Sumiyoshi-rengo – (Sumiyoshi-kai) they really are the second largest Yakua family in Japan, with approximately 10,000 members divided into 177 clans. Information from the Yakuza families and other details were researched on the internet on various sites, more prominently wikipedia._

_I must stress out that this is a work of __**fiction**_**. **_Names of my OCs are entirely fictional, and is in no way intended to represent actual people or (God forbid) actual Yakuza members._


	5. Escaped Princess

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda D'Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: Please do not forget to review after reading!_

_Warnings and Disclaimers: All La Corda D'Oro names, places, items, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. The song "Rolling Star" is by Yui, and was used for the anime series "BLEACH" by Kubo Tite. Only the plot, OCs, and writing style are mine. This story is rated T for now; I am heeding Last Vampire's suggestion, since I see the sense in making this rated T (there aren't any smut action going on for a few more chappies). Not to your liking? Then please push the back button to spare your sanity._

_I've invented names for all of Kahoko's family members, because I don't have any idea what they are. If any of you know, please PM it to me so I can make the changes! Thank you!_

_Apologies for the extremely…supremely…LATE update. Please understand that my PC time is heavily constrained, and with real life grabbing every spare moment I can afford, it's extremely difficult for me to continuously update. But to show my sincerity, I offer a super long fifth chapter._

_Also, thanks for all those who reviewed so far! I haven't been able to thank you like this because I've been replying to all the reviews sent to me…but then again that's unfair to those who sent anonymous reviews, neh? Most especially though, thank you to everyone who has been patiently waiting for this update to come out. I've already received a few PMs urging me to continue this story, which is really touching. It means you all like this story so much that you'd go to such lengths to make sure I update, and it makes me really happy. Thanks, guys._

**Chapter 5: Escaped Princess**

Today, it seems, was a day for the unusual.

It was quiet in the Hino residence, which was an unusual thing in itself. No matter what the time, there was always something going on in the little two-story house tucked inside the quiet suburbs. Whether it was the television or the radio, or the sound of people's conversation, or the humming of a vacuum cleaner as Hino Saeri went round the house cleaning and doing her chores, there was always _something_ that indicated activity. It was already around three or four in the afternoon; Saeri should have been in the kitchen, a pot bubbling on the stove top, making dinner for her two daughters.

But the house murmured no sound. And there was a stranger's sleek black car parked by their front gate, its heavily-tinted windows reflecting the image of the neighboring houses. Most of the neighbors did not take note of this, nor noticed anything suspicious; after all, how could kind and gentle Saeri-san be connected with anything that was remotely suspicious?

Inside her own mind, Saeri was thankful that her neighbors were not busybodies sniffing for gossip. A thing to be grateful for, since the appearance of a black Bentley surely would have raised eyebrows by now. Ah well, she had a ready excuse if anyone ever asked.

Truth be told, she had not expected this visit to come. And so soon. A tide of worry threatened to choke her, but she firmly held it down. There will be time to be frightened and worried later. Taking a deep breath, she carried the laden tray from the kitchen into the living room, the smell of freshly-brewed tea and spicy cakes wafting from her burden.

Six pairs of eyes looked up when she entered the threshold of her living room, and a smile grazed her face. She ignored the five men in black suits standing by the windows, and focused on the one person sitting on one of the couches. "I hope you're fine with just tea and cakes, Papa. If I had known you were visiting, I'd have run to the bake shop and bought something special." She gingerly put the tray down on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa across from where her father-in-law sat. She began to pour tea into the cup. "I'm so glad to see you're alright."

The man sitting across her, around sixty years of age, gave a warm smile that stretched the vertical scar that ran down his left brow and stopped just shy of his jaw line. He was huge, but his bulk was all muscle, not fat. The tell-tale roping of his muscles showed even under the crisp, dark-blue Hugo Boss business suit. He would have been intimidating, had Saeri not known who he was. Her loving husband's father was just as doting and warm as he was. And fiercely protective of his family; a trait that seems to run very strong in the Nishiguchi bloodline.

"Bah, forget about me. I'm too old to be asked questions like that. How about you, eh Saeri-chan? How have you been?" He accepted the cup she held to him and bit into a spicy cake, sighing contentedly. "I missed your cooking, did you know?"

Saeri flushed at the compliment and the pet name. Having lived through her childhood living with only her aunt, she considered Nishiguchi Renji her father. He had welcomed her warmly into his family, even going so far as to insist she call him 'Papa'. Her smile widened. "I'm alright, really."

"And the girls?"

Saeri chuckled. "Kaoru-chan is working at a communications company in the city, while Kaho-chan is a sophomore high school student at Seisou Academy. They've adjusted pretty well to living here."

She saw his shoulders ease slightly. "I'm glad to hear that." He leaned back into his seat. "Keitaro is doing very well in Tokyo. He's already into his third year of university with Keichi. I would have wanted to bring him here with me, but he has final exams to hurdle through." He barked a laugh that boomed across the room. "He was actually quite pissed that he couldn't come visit you."

Saeri let out the breath that she had not realize she had been holding for so long. The tightness in her chest vanished. "I am truly glad he's alright."

"Mmm." Her father-in-law's head nodded sagely. He put down his cup of tea. "On the phone…you said you were worried about Kaho-chan?"

Ah. So that was the reason. She should have known; he always had a soft spot for his little Kahoko. "You mean to say, Papa, that you came all the way here because you were worried over something I said on the phone?" She blinked in feigned incredulity, sighing dramatically. "Mou, you're such a worry wart."

"Better worried than dead, I always say," the old man managed to reply gruffly, but in a moment his serious expression was replaced with a face-splitting grin. "And you know I've been waiting for an excuse to come here and see my granddaughters."

Saeri sighed. "Tachibana-san said it's very dangerous for you to go outside of the gumi, much less outside of Tokyo, even now." She glanced around the room. "I'm really surprised you only brought five people with you."

None of the five aforementioned bodyguards stirred from where they seemed to be casually lounging. Their ages ranged from somewhere in their late twenties to forties. All of them wore black suits and ties, crisp and freshly-pressed. If they were wearing dark shades Saeri was sure they would look like those people in a movie Kaho-chan had rented a week ago.

Her father-in-law waved away her exclamation of worry. "Don't listen much to what that old lawyer says. I'm fine enough as it is, and it's not like I cannot take care of myself." He slapped his hands on his hips. "So. What time will little Kaho-chan be back? It's already pretty late, isn't it?"

Saeri glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, frowning slightly. "Well, you're right. But maybe she went out with her friends. Although nowadays she just comes home early and goes straight to her room. She even carries around a large red case containing Kami knows what." She gestured with her hands to show the exact shape and size of the thing.

"Oh?" The Yakuza clan leader scratched at his chin. "Have you ever asked her about it?"

Saeri nodded dejectedly. "Yes, but she said it's something she borrowed from her friend, nothing more than that. Still, I get the feeling she's hiding something from me. And I'm worried because she has been acting strange." She looked up to see her father-in-law frowning worriedly, too.

"Strange?"

Saeri nodded again. "She keeps listening to her CD player all the time, and even talks to herself in her room. And I even catch her so focused on thinking about something, but when I ask she wouldn't say."

Nishiguchi Renji nodded seriously, listening. "I see. Well, maybe I could give it a shot and talk to her."

Saeri blinked. "What?"

The old man smiled at her. "Don't worry Saeri-chan. I'll talk to her when she gets home. Hah!" He slapped a hand heartily to his hip again. "I can't wait to see little Kaho-chan's face when she arrives. I'd bet she wouldn't even know what to say."

o0o0o0o

As of the moment, Kahoko didn't know what to do, rather than what to say.

Her little performance for the sophomore Music Students had started off well, considering the fact that she could barely feel her fingers on the strings, and her skin felt like ice. She would have died of stage fright if Mio and Nao had not been there, their faces shining with confidence that she would be able to do it.

She had already begun to relax by the time she had finished with the first five measures, remembering what Hihara-senpai had told her. To enjoy playing, to just play for the sake of it. But when she opened her eyes and saw people actually stopping to watch her, her fingers jerked and the bow struck the strings at an odd angle. Needless to say she had stopped.

When…when did these people get here? How long had they been watching? Kahoko's heart beat rapidly in her chest, and she could feel the flush of embarrassment blooming in her cheeks. At the corner of her eye she could see one of the sophomore students—the one with the pink hair—open and close her mouth, her face set into a smirk, but Kahoko could not hear what she said. Her mind fumbled to remember where she had stopped, but she could not seem to keep track. She had lost her place, and now she was going to make a fool of herself.

The sound of a trumpet caught her attention.

She turned slowly, unable to believe what she was hearing. But then there was Hihara-senpai standing not far from where she was, playing _Gavotte_ on his silver trumpet, even winking at her. Before she could think Kahoko followed suit, using his lead to guide her. As she began to keep up, the violin and the trumpet in perfect synchronization, Kahoko's numbing fear began to subside, to be replaced by a slight giddiness she could not quite explain.

The notes, light and seemingly airy, floated in the air and seemed to give her courage. She let the magic of the violin guide her fingers as she played, and Kahoko smiled inwardly. She did not see the astonished faces of her friends, nor the admiring looks from the watching students. What she saw was a washed-out image of her memory: riding on Keitaro nii-chan's back, playing tag with her big sister and Keichi, in one of the courtyards of the Sumiyoshi gumi. Happiness welled in her chest upon remembering, and it carried through to her music.

Fuyuumi, who was watching alongside Shimizu, leaned closer to him and whispered, "Hino-senpai seems delighted about something, doesn't she?" The shy girl smiled as she watched. "And her performance with Hihara-senpai is very good."

"I agree," Shimizu replied slowly, nodding his head. "The sounds of their instruments go very well together."

Amou, who was nearby, smiled delightedly upon hearing their conversation, and jotted down notes onto her little pad, the pencil making soft scritch scritch noises. She couldn't wait to interview Hino and Hihara after this!

As the last notes died out and the sound of furious applause and whooping cheers flooded Kahoko's ears, she could not help heaving a huge sigh of relief. Her knees felt just about ready to give way under her weight, but she could not stop smiling, her bright eyes spotting Mio and Nao giving her exaggerated claps and grinning from ear to ear.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lilly beaming at her, his translucent blue wings fluttering madly, mouthing a silent 'congratulations' before vanishing. Kahoko nodded discreetly in Lilly's direction before coming over to her two best friends, clutching the violin and her bow tightly in both hands.

"You did it! You did it!" Mio squealed as she hugged Kahoko's left arm, latching onto it like a lifeline and hopping up and down. Her eyes were large and liquid as she looked up at Kahoko. "You were so _amazing_! Oh my God—I think I'm going to die of shock—"

Nao rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't be the first time," she said dryly, then turned to Kahoko with a grin. "That was really awesome, Kaho. We didn't know you were that good with a violin."

_You and me both._ "Thanks guys," Kahoko managed to say even as Mio continued to rattle her eyeballs out of their sockets. "Uh, did any of you bring my violin case…?"

"Here!" Mio handed Kahoko the case, still jumping on the balls of her feet, gushing every now and then about how shockingly great Kahoko's performance was, not to mention how gorgeous the senior student who upped and joined Kahoko in her little show, looking snazzy with his silver trumpet. "He's just so…handsome!" Mio sighed, still clutching onto Kahoko, which made walking a bit difficult for the redhead. "Who is he Kaho?"

Kahoko tried to divide her attention between grabbing her school bag and violin case, walking home, and tuning into Mio's question without getting dizzy from all of her friend's enthusiastic hopping. "Oh…him…right. He's…uhm…Hihara-senpai. He's also a concours participant and…well…can you let go of my arm now, Mio?"

"And if you don't know what that means, Mio," added Nao with a flat expression, "it means you've got to let go of Kaho's arm before you pop it right off."

Mio let go immediately, apologizing, but not before throwing Nao a narrowed look. "Meanie!" she pulled her tongue out at Nao, who only shook her head and sighed.

They took their usual route home, walking down the shortcut they took which let them bypass the long, winding road down the hill and directly onto a street which was only a block away from Kahoko's house. As they rounded the corner, Nao took a glance at her watch. "Won't your mother be angry that you're late?"

Kahoko shook her head. "No, I don't think so." She frowned slightly. "At least, I think she won't."

Mio frowned worriedly at her. "Are you sure? I mean, we don't really go home this late when you're not singing at the café unless we tell her. And we didn't tell her about your show for the Music Students."

Nao tilted her head at Kahoko. "Why _didn't_ we tell your mother about it, anyway?"

Kahoko stared at them both, her face scandalized and horrified at the thought. "Are you crazy? This is my mother we're talking about." She pointed a finger in the general direction of her house. "If she even heard a rumor that I'm participating in the concours who knows what she'll do?! It's enough that I have to endure her taking videos and pictures of my performances at _Café Melody_ without her pushing me into ridiculous costumes for the concours, too!"

"Erm, if I recall correctly, it was Kishino-san's idea to make you wear those dresses," Nao pointed out, but shut up immediately when Kahoko rounded on her with a withering glare.

"But it was my own _mother_ who encouraged Kishino-san to do it," ground out Kahoko. Then she groaned. "Why I landed with a crazy mom I will never be able to understand…"

"Don't forget you have a crazy boss at work, too," Mio added happily. Kahoko looked at her with a flat expression.

"Thanks, Mio. That makes me feel _so_ much better."

"You're welcome," Mio replied happily.

Nao laughed raucously, but stopped when they neared Kahoko's house. "Hey. Whose car is that?"

"What?" Kahoko followed Nao's curious eyes, and gaped at the sleek black car parked in front of her front gate. Its windows were tinted almost black, its entire body spotless and gleaming. But what caught Kahoko's attention was the small, gold-plated _mon_ mounted at the center top of the trunk's hood.

She blinked several times, then let out a whoop of delight, a smile splitting her face. "Ojii-chan!" she exclaimed happily, and almost ran towards the house, if she had not remembered that Mio and Nao were both with her. That deflated her excitement by quite a bit. She turned to her friends and put on an apologetic smile. "Hey—guys, umm…I gotta go now. My grandfather's come to visit."

"Your grandfather?" repeated Nao blankly, and looked from Kahoko to the parked Bentley in front of their gate. She let out a low whistle. "Pretty loaded, isn't he?"

"It's well…kind of hard to explain…" Kahoko glanced back towards the house, praying her grandfather wouldn't come out and greet her the way he usually does…she'd have a helluva time explaining _then_. "I'll tell you about him tomorrow."

"I'd love to meet your grandfather, though," Mio said thoughtfully, craning her neck to look past Kahoko, who was effectively blocking her view. "What kind of person is he?"

_Oh, he's just the head of the Sumiyoshi kai, which—by the way—is the second largest Yakuza family in the country. And did I forget to mention I'm his granddaughter? Hello?! I can't tell them that! _Kahoko's voice of common sense screamed at her to get a move on and usher her friends away before disaster struck, and she hopped from foot to foot in impatience. "He's…well kind of like my dad…but more—"

"OHO! THERE'S MY LITTLE KAHO-CHAN NOW!"

Too late. Kahoko wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole as she fixed a smile on her face and turned around, waving a hand weakly at her grandfather already striding towards them with his arms spread wide open, a grin plastered on his face. "H-hi Ojii-chan."

She watched with growing embarrassment as her grandfather lifted her off the ground and twirled her in the air twice—t_wice—_before crushing her into his arms in a tight hug, his laughter booming. Mio and Nao could only stare with their mouths hanging open. She could almost hear their thoughts running along the same lines: this is Kaho's _grandfather_?

"My little Kahoko! Kami-sama bless my eyes, look how you've grown!" Nishiguchi Renji put his favorite granddaughter down, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "You've grown lovelier, too!"

Kahoko didn't know whether to laugh or shake her head in exasperation, although she returned his hug just as tightly before letting go. "Ojii-chan, it's only been two years," she rolled her eyes, even as her smile remained in place. A sudden thought struck her, and her face lit up. "Is Keitaro nii-chan here with you?"

Her grandfather's face turned apologetic. "I'm sorry cupcake, but you brother was weighed down with exams, so he couldn't visit with me."

"_Cupcake_?"

Kahoko inwardly winced at Nao's voice, and she turned partly towards her just as her grandfather looked up, spotting both of her friends a mere pace away. Throwing a sharp glare at Nao's bemused expression, Kahoko ground out, "Ano, Ojii-chan… these are my friends: Mio and Nao."

Nao grinned, still amused at seeing Kahoko being lifted up into the air like a little girl and being called 'Cupcake' of all things, but her grin slipped when Kahoko's grandfather actually looked sharply at her and Mio for a few seconds. That glare sent a chill straight through her spine. But she blinked, and the late fifties-something old man was smiling benignly at them, slightly bowing his head in greeting.

"Ah, Kahoko's friends. Yes, I've heard a bit about you from Saeri. As you already know, I'm Kahoko's grandfather. You can call me Renji-san, or 'geezer', if you prefer." He barked a laugh. "I won't hold it against you if you do, considering I'm old enough to be one."

Mio giggled, introducing herself and Nao. She didn't seem to have noticed the heart-stopping glare from earlier. Nao blinked several times in confusion. Was it just a trick of the light? But before she could think on it further Kahoko's voice drew her from her thoughts. Shaking her head slightly, she put on a sheepish smile on her face. "Ah, sorry, I was spacing out. What was that, Kaho?"

Kahoko tilted her head slightly at her in a silent question, but instead said, "I was just saying you guys should be heading home now 'cause it's kind of late." She smiled brightly. "Our plans for tomorrow are still on, though."

Nao smiled, thoughts of Renji-san's unusual behavior quickly replaced by the anticipation for tomorrow. "Like we'd forget your performance tomorrow."

"Performance?" Kahoko's grandfather asked, genuinely curious.

"Her performance at _Café Melody_," Mio clarified with a grin, even as Kahoko gave her a meaningful glare that went unnoticed. "She performs at Kishino-san's café and restaurant every Mondays and Wednesdays." She clapped her hands excitedly. "And she'll be wearing another one of my dresses again!"

"Oh, one of those! Yes, Kahoko's mother tells me about it." Renji-san nodded, a glint appearing in his eyes, something that did not bode very well with Kahoko. She knew that look. It was one her grandfather wore whenever he planned something dastardly. In Yakuza terms, that meant any activity involving a lot of adrenaline-pumping action, or sneaky moves, or both. Kahoko heartily prayed that it was none of the above, although the chances of that were pretty slim. Her mother was pretty mild when compared to her grandfather.

As Mio and Nao waved goodbye, bowed once more, and went on their way, Kahoko narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her grandfather, who had one hand resting on her shoulder. "Ojii-chan…you're not planning something are you?"

"What are you talking about, Kahoko-chan?" Renji-san made an almost convincing innocent face. Almost.

Kahoko frowned slightly. "I saw your face when Mio mentioned about my performance tomorrow night." She crossed her arms. "You're going to go see it, aren't you?"

Her grandfather actually had the decency to flush slightly red, but he shrugged and said, "It's not illegal to watch, is it?"

Kahoko sighed. There was no way in hell she could change her grandfather's decision even if she wanted to. "Just…just don't bring too many people with you. Please?" She added a pleading look to this request, knowing her ojii-chan couldn't resist.

Renji immediately smiled, readily nodding. "Of course, cupcake. In fact, I won't bring more than five."

"Really?" Kahoko blinked, actually surprised. From what she remembered, her grandfather never left anywhere without being flanked by at least fifteen bodyguards, and that did not include the ones who went undercover.

"Would I even lie to you, little Kaho?" Her grandfather smiled warmly at her, before wrapping his arms around her shoulders again in a tight hug. "I missed you, granddaughter."

Kahoko breathed in her grandfather's scent deeply; it was a delicate blend of pine trees and what Kahoko guessed was Armani cologne. She smiled against his crisp dark blue suit. "I missed you too, Ojii-chan." As she let him go, she caught sight of one of her grandfather's bodyguards walking briskly towards them. Her grandfather saw him, too, because he suddenly wore a frown on his face.

"Trouble?" Kahoko asked instantly, worried.

"Hmm, I don't think so," mused Renji. They watched the bodyguard come closer, stopping only when he was five paces away, bending his entire upper body into a low, stiff bow.

"Renji-sama!" he blurted in a manner of a salute, and raised his eyes slightly. When he caught sight of Kahoko he bowed as low as before. "Kahoko-ojou! My apologies for interrupting your time together."

Kahoko smiled, recognizing him at once. He was Keiichi's uncle, Watanabe Jin. Jin-san was already a _saiko-komon_, in-charge of the shopping districts in Tokyo, and therefore treated like an immediate family member in the _gumi_. But he still insists in leading the group of men charged with protecting her grandfather, making him one of the Sumiyoshi kai's most loyal and dedicated men. Kahoko remembered the many times her "uncle" Jin had treated her to takoyaki after school. "Hello, Uncle Jin. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The forty-seven year-old Yakuza stood straighter and grinned warmly. "It certainly has, Kaho-chan. You've gotten bigger since I last saw you."

Kahoko laughed. "I hope you meant my height, uncle. How's Keiichi?"

A fond smile touched his face. "My nephew's been good, thanks to your brother. He keeps Keiichi out of trouble."

"Unlike little Kaho," cut in Renji, "who always gets him into trouble."

"Hey!" Kahoko replied indignantly. "It wasn't always me!"

Both of the men laughed, ignoring the way Kahoko's cheeks blushed in shame. "So, Jin. What seems to be so urgent you couldn't wait for me to get back inside?"

Jin fished out a wafer-thin cellular from his coat's inner pocket, flipping it open. "It's Tachibana, sir. Secure line."

Kahoko frowned slightly. A call from a secure line meant delicate information needed to be communicated. All of the top members had a mobile phone similar to Jin's, which was connected to a heavily-secured phone line. As her grandfather took the phone and pushed the Hold button, worry wormed through Kahoko. A call from Tachibana Kyousuke on a secure line meant very important, top-priority stuff. Tachibana was Sumiyoshi kai's lawyer and legal adviser.

"Tachibana, you old coot! What's with the call, eh?" Nishiguchi Renji's voice was jovial and hearty, a grin almost splitting his face in two. "Eh? Where am I? Visiting my daughter-in-law and my granddaughters, of course! Where else would I be?" He paused for a while, presumably listening to whatever it was Tachibana was saying. Which, if Kahoko guessed correctly, went along the lines of how foolish her grandfather was for slipping out of Tokyo without enough security. The lawyer had always been a worry-wart, and her grandfather's friend from since they were only thin, gangly boys from a farming village in the mountains.

The Sumiyoshi-kai's _kumichou_ laughed suddenly. "Yes, I know about it. No, there's no need to worry. You know how the Inagawa boys get touchy when I pull a fast one on them—yes, I'll take care of it when I get back." He nodded several times. "Yes, I understand old friend. I will. Oh, and tell my grandson that his mother and sisters are all alright." He grinned. "Yes, I won't forget to tell Saeri. Alright." He terminated the call and handed the phone back to Jin, who pocketed it without another word and stood a ways behind them, his eyes roaming the entire neighborhood.

Kahoko looked curious. "What did he mean, tell my mom? Tell her what?" She was dying to ask a million other things, but Kahoko knew her grandfather did not want her involved in issues regarding the clan.

"Oh, something Keitaro wanted me to bring back to Tokyo," her grandfather replied in a light tone. "He said to give him copies of the shots your mother managed to take."

_I have a bad feeling about this._ "What shots?"

"You know. The ones of your performances in that little café."

Four bodyguards bolted out the front gate with hands already reaching for hidden gun holsters inside their business suits when Kahoko suddenly let out a screech.

o0o0o0o

Kishino Yuji let out a whoop of delight as the ball slipped neatly through the hoop, earning his team two more points, landing them into another victory. Three other guys slapped high fives and exchanged shit-eating grins, while the other team only groaned and shook their heads. Well, Yuji thought, if I lost a hundred bucks I'd groan, too. He broke into a grin of his own and said, "Well gentlemen, I guess you have to pay up, eh?"

The other team grumbled as they pooled in their cash and shoved the wad of bills into Yuji's waiting hands. "Just you wait, Yuji—we'll make you payback double," muttered the largest of the lot, who happened to be the leader.

"Whatever you say Katsu. Just give us a call whenever you're ready," Yuji replied smoothly, handing the wad of bills to his best friend Nobu, who began to divide the cash and give each of them their share. When Katsu's gang left, Yuji took the twenty five bucks Nobu offered him. "Not bad eh?"

Nobu sniggered, making his curly brown hair shake with his mirth. "Considering Katsu's team was a complete pushover? Definitely." Nobu was also a member of Yuji's band, as were the other three. Nobu was base guitarist. "When do we head for the café?"

Yuji glanced at his watch. "If we don't want to have my mom biting our heads off, I'd say we should have gone their about fifteen minutes ago."

"What?" exclaimed the shortest of the group, Spud. Spud was half African-American and sported a shaved do, earning him the nickname. "Yuji you moron, we have to run all the way to your mom's café if we don't want to be late." Spud was the drummer in the group.

They picked up their backpacks near the benches. Yuji hefted his onto his shoulders and grinned at them. "Then we should run."

One of them, with bleached spiky hair and a nose ring, rolled his eyes. "Your mom's going to kill us."

Nobu snorted a laugh. "If she does, she won't have a band, Ken."

"And we won't have jobs," Ken pointed out. Ken was on keyboards, and he used the income from their gigs to pay for his rent.

"Relax guys, Mom will go easy on us today," Yuji said confidently as they jogged down the street. "She's in a good mood."

Spud quirked an eyebrow. "How come you're so sure?"

Yuji grinned. "Kahoko's going to perform with us tonight. In a costume."

Looks of understanding dawned on their faces, and they all grinned. Yeah, Kishino-san was always in a good mood whenever she was trying out something new. Specially when it boosted her sales.

Nobu cleared his throat. "Aren't you forgetting something, Yuji?"

"Like what?"

Nobu raised an eyebrow, and turned to the others. "We'll be wearing costumes to match Kahoko's."

Yuji almost tripped when he missed a step, spluttering at Nobu. "What the hell?! My mom didn't tell me that!"

"Probably because she knew you would react like this," came Nobu's reply, which Yuji completely ignored. Instead he fumed, scowling as they got near their destination.

"No way in hell…" he muttered darkly. "My mom's dreaming if she thinks she can make me wear a costume."

They stopped as the café came into view, awash in warm golden afternoon light. There was a cool-looking, very expensive, sleek black car parked across the street from the café. When Yuji spotted it, his scowl grew even fiercer. Great. There was no escaping it now.

"Nice set of wheels," whistled Spud, walking over to the Bentley. "I wonder whose car this is."

"It's Kahoko's grandfather's," Yuji replied before he could stop himself.

Four identical looks of shook and amazement turned to him. "Serious, man? Kahoko's gramps?"

Yuji let out a snort of laughter, even as he kicked himself mentally for opening his mouth. "A word of advice, Spud. You shouldn't call him 'gramps' within earshot."

Ken looked at the car. "I didn't know Kahoko was rich."

Yuji gave them a mysterious smile as he led the way inside _Café Melody_. "You have no idea."

o0o0o0o

"You what?!" Kahoko hissed as she pulled at the checked black and white tie that conveniently hung loose around Yuji's neck, bringing his face closer to hers. "Why the hell would you say something like that, Yuji? I'm trying to keep a low profile here, you idiot!"

Yuji winced, scratching the back of his head, careful not to ruin his painstakingly gelled up hair. "I said I'm sorry, alright? I just sort of slipped."

Kahoko looked about to burst again, but at the last minute she let it all out in one big sigh. "Tell me that was all you told them."

Yuji raised both his hands. "I swear."

Kahoko shook her head, rubbing her temples with her hands. It made the numerous bangles on her wrist tinkle against each other. "So apart from the fact that they know my grandfather's rich, they know nothing. We can get around that, I think." She paused for a moment. "You can tell them Ojii-chan's a businessman."

Right after Kahoko's parents got married, Kishino-san and her husband ran into a problem opening up a small restaurant in Yokohama, which was Inagawa-kai territory. The Inagawa-kai was the third largest Yakuza family, and claimed the Tokyo-Yokohama area; they had taken it upon themselves to rid Tokyo of the Sumiyoshi-kai, which Kahoko's grandfather had been able to expertly maneuver out from each and every time. Only with the help of Kahoko's parents and grandfather had the matter been solved; the Kishinos had not been able to build their restaurant in Yokohama, but at least they got off unharmed. Keeping the identity of Saeri and her children a secret was their way of repaying their debt, aside from the fact that Saeri and Yume were friends.

Yuji sighed at the stubborn look on Kahoko's face. "Alright, alright. I'll take care of it." He looked down at his attire and fingered the tie around his neck. "Hey, Kaho."

"What?"

"Er…you don't think I look stupid in this…do you?"

Kahoko gave Yuji a look-over. He actually looked really good. All the guys did. They had slight variations of the same outfit. Only Yuji had on the complete ensemble: a very loose red button-up shirt with the top three buttons open, revealing quite an expanse of his chest, where a temporary henna tattoo had been drawn in. It was a cool-looking symbol, all sharp edges and slashing bold curves, like a ghetto symbol of some rock star group…which was exactly the theme of their costumes. Yuji was also wearing a pair of black leather pants that rode low on his waist, accentuated by a thick black belt studded with silver. It matched the strap on his electric guitar, which was also in black and red. The tie around his neck, plus a silver insignia ring on his finger completed the outfit along his gelled-up dark hair.

Nobu opted to go onstage without a shirt or tie, wanting to show off his toned abs. Spud only had on a plain red shirt plus black jeans and a leather wrist band, while Ken allowed Kishino to dress him up in a white button-up shirt and black leather pants, but without a tie. Other than Yuji, all the other guys wore accessories in either black or red, to match Kahoko's own get up.

After studying Yuji's clothes, Kahoko crossed her arms. "You want my honest opinion?"

Yuji scrunched up his face. "Is it that bad?"

Kahoko laughed. "Nah. It looks good on you."

Yuji seemed doubtful, but decided to take her word for it, and instead looked at Kahoko's dress. She looked like a rock star. Her bright red hair had been put up in a high side ponytail, and her right cheek was painted with a silver star. She had on a red denim vest over a white sleeveless shirt, with a denim skirt also in deepest red trimmed in black lace. Underneath was a layer of fluffy white fabric which made the skirt spread out like a tutu, and her legs were covered in black fishnet stockings. She also had on a pair of heeled black leather boots that went almost to her knees, plus several silver and black leather bangles and bands on both her hands.

Yuji grinned. "So what did my mother call this dress?"

Kahoko's face instantly turned murderous. "Don't even start with me, Yuji."

Kishino appeared from behind the door leading to the small stage. She grinned when she spotted her son and Kahoko. "Great, you're all dressed. You have five minutes to get your dressed up asses on the stage." She gave Kahoko a wink. "Looks like the Rockin' Lover suits you, huh?"

Yuji choked on his laughter while Nobu and the others sniggered. "R-Rockin' Lover?"

Kahoko felt her cheeks burn, and she slapped her palm over her face. "Can we forget the stupid dress names please and get on with the show? Just…just…please?" The band members only howled with laughter.

Kishino Yume blinked, nonplussed. "What? What's so funny? I really think the name's cool."

Kahoko just growled under her breath and stomped to the door, wishing she could just strangle all their necks and get this all over with. Why did she have to endure all this torture anyway?

"Hey, Kahoko! Don't forget to wave and smile at your grandfather! He's on table two!"

_Oh great. Thanks for reminding me, Kishino-san. _"Wonderful," Kahoko rolled her eyes. "Just wonderful." She turned to the café's eccentric owner. "Where are Mio and Nao?"

Kishino-san gave her a wide, knowing smile. "On table seven. With your friends from Seisou."

It took a few moments for Kishino's words to sink in. When they did, Kahoko's stomach did an uneasy flip. "T-Tsuchiura-kun is here?"

A sly smile grew on Yuji's lips. "Ooh, who's that, Kahoko? Your _boyfriend_?"

Kahoko's golden eyes flared, glaring daggers at Yuji. "He is NOT my boyfriend!" she answered hotly, feeling her cheeks burn for what seemed the hundredth time that night. She was surprised her makeup hadn't melted right off.

"I'm not so sure about him being Kahoko-chan's boyfriend," Kishino tapped a finger to her chin as she tilted her head slightly. He has a girl with him. She gestured with her hands. "With long, orange wavy hair like this."

Orange wavy hair? "Who is it?" Kahoko asked.

"Ah, jealous?" Yuji sniggered, but immediately choked on his own laughter when Kahoko elbowed him hard in the stomach.

Kishino ignored her son almost doubled up on his knees, thinking. "I don't know the girl, but Mio and Nao seemed friendly with her." She looked at Kahoko. "Don't you know her?"

"Erm…I'm not sure," Kahoko admitted. They didn't have any classmates with long, orange hair. Maybe someone from a club they both attended?

"Well, you can think on it later, because you guys should be on the stage now." Kishino ushered them all out the door and wished them good luck. Kahoko and the band walked in single file through the door and up the short flight of stairs that would lead them directly onto the stage.

The entire room had been darkened considerably, so the stage was cloaked in darkness when they got on it and settled into their positions. Spud sat on the seat behind his drum set, twirling his drumsticks and grinning at Kahoko and Yuji. Ken calmly strode to the keyboard while Yuji and Nobu both slung on their guitars and plugged them into amplifiers, nodding at Kahoko to signal they were ready.

Kahoko took up center stage, one hand curling around the tall microphone stand in front of her. She could hear the chink of glasses and the soft murmurs of conversation in the audience. There were three circular tables right in front of the stage, and on one of them was her grandfather. Behind that row would be Mio and Nao. And Tsuchiura-kun, with a long, wavy-haired girl. For a moment the image of one such girl wearing the uniform of a regular Seisou Academy student flashed in her mind, but before the image could sharpen the lights flashed brilliantly on-stage, and Yuji and the band struck up the music.

Thoughts of the girl were pushed to the back of her mind as Kahoko nodded her head in time with the music, her body swaying with the beat. She put on a smile and let amusement shine in her eyes as she pulled the mike stand towards her and began to sing.

_Mou gaman bakka shiteranai yo_

(I can't just put up with it)

_Iitai koto wa iwanakucha_

(I have to say what I want to say)

_Kaerimichi yuugure no BASU tei _

(On the way home, at the bus stop at dusk)

_Ochikonda senaka ni _Bye Bye Bye

(I say bye bye bye to your depressed-looking back)

_Kimi no _Fighting Pose_ misenakya Oh! Oh! _

(You gotta show your fighting pose! Oh! Oh!)

_Yume ni made mita you na sekai wa _

(The world I dream of)

_Arasoi mo naku heiwa na nichijou_

(Has no-fighting, peaceful days)

_Demo genjitsu wa hibi TORAPUtte_

(But in reality, each day is a trap)

_Tama ni kuyandari shiteru sonna_ Rolling Days

(And sometimes I find it tough, those rolling days)

Kahoko actually put some serious thought into how she should behave on-stage, considering she had to pose as a rock star. She thought it would be a bit difficult: swinging her hips and her arms, jumping up and down like there's no tomorrow…but now that she was here it was actually very easy. The beat of the song thrummed in her body, and all she had to do was let it carry her away. Wearing the costume helped, too, much to her surprise. But she wouldn't tell Kishino-san that. It was bad enough without her egging on the café owner's penchant for costumes.

As Yuji took up the electric guitar solo Kahoko's eyes roamed down the tables. She immediately spotted her grandfather on table two. Uncle Jin and two other black-suited men were sitting with them, and they were all smiling admiringly at her. Her grandfather wore the widest grin of all, and he nodded when their eyes met. Kahoko waved enthusiastically at him and even blew him a kiss and a wink. Uncle Jin and the other guards clapped and cheered. A camera flash appeared at the corner of her eyes, but Kahoko paid it no heed. No doubt Kishino was taking pictures again.

_This one's for you, Ojii-chan!_ Kahoko twirled once on stage and took the mic from the stand, readying herself for the next stanza.

_Koronjattatte iin ja nai no_

(It's okay to fall, right?)

_Son toki wa waratte ageru_

(When you do, I'll laugh for you)

_Norikonda BASU no oku kara_

(I got on the bus, and from inside)

_Chiisaku hohoemi ga mieta_

(I could see you smile a little)

_Kimi wo tayori ni shiteru yo Oh! __Oh!_

(I depend on you, oh! Oh!)

_Yume ni made mita you na _Sweet Love

(In the sweet love I've dreamed of)

_Koibitotachi wa kakure ga wo sagasu no_

(The lovers search for a hiding place)

_Demo genjitsu wa aenai hi ga_

(But in reality, there are days when we can't see each other)

_Tsuzukinagara mo shinjiteru no _Rolling Days

(Even when I stumble I have faith, even in those rolling days)

(Oh yeah, oh...)

_Tsumazuitatte _Way to go!!

(Even if you stumble, way to go!)

_Yeah!! Yay!! dorodarake _Rolling Star

(Yeah! Yay! A rolling star covered in mud!)

To her delight, she could see the café's patrons cheering. Some of them had stood up and danced, their hands clapping and waving in the air. She could see Mio and Nao whistling and cheering on table seven. She couldn't see Tsuchiura anywhere, or the girl Kishino –san said went with him.

_Here comes the last part._ Kahoko stepped back slightly, and on cue all the lights dimmed, except a spotlight trained on her.

_Naru beku egao de itai keredo_

(I want to smile as much as possible)

_Mamori nuku tame ni wa shikata nai desho?_

(But you do what you have to do to protect something, right?)

_Kitto uso nante sou imi wo motanai no_

(Surely lies don't mean anything)

ALL MY LOVING...

_Sou ja nakya yatterannai_

(Without that, I can't keep doing this)

The lights blazed on again as she sustained the last note, and the crowd wowed and clapped. Kahoko glanced at Yuji and Nobu, who both wore grins on their faces. Kahoko knew she had a grin on too, because she was feeling what they all did: they were enjoying this. They repeated the chorus twice, finishing the song by striking a pose, Kahoko in the middle and Yuji and Nobu on both sides brandishing their guitars. The thunder of applause flooded their ears.

As they bowed, the successive flashes of a camera caught Kahoko's attention. She peered into the crowd and saw a girl with long, wavy orange hair clicking away at her single lens camera pointed directly at Kahoko. When the photographer lowered her camera Kahoko's stomach did another, much larger, uneasy flip.

Amou, the Press Club reporter, grinned and gave Kahoko a hearty wave. Kahoko could do nothing but smile weakly.

o0o0o0o

_End of Chapter 5._


	6. Tension Rising

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda D'Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: Please do not forget to review after reading!_

_Warnings/Disclaimers: All La Corda d'Oro names, places, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. As previously said in chapter five, the rating for this story will change per chapter depending on the content._

_This chapter is rated T. (Ooh, did I hear a few sighs of disappointment?)_

_I also receive a lot of requests that I make this story a Ryou x Kaho pairing. When you think about it, Kahoko's almost always paired up with Len, and poor Ryoutarou is always left behind. Hmm, maybe I should give him a chance? What do you guys think? And no one has PM'd me about the names of Kahoko's mother, her sister and her older brother. If any of you know, please tell me! I'll give credits, of course. :)_

_I just realized I've let this story stew inside my file folder for over four months. Oh my._

**Chapter 6: Tension Rising**

Kahoko exited the stage as soon as the lights dimmed, leaving Yuji and the others with confusion written all over their faces. She even ignored Kishino-san's thumbs-up sign as she sped past, heading straight to the tiny dressing room and locking the door behind her.

This was not good. Kahoko frantically tried to think of a way out of her situation, but none came up. She could hear her heart slam against her ribcage, the sweat starting to drip from her brow. With Amou-san here, the school would know not only about her little stint as a singer, but her real identity, too.

What made matters worse was that her grandfather was here. Kahoko mentally cursed. If Amou ever tried to interview her grandfather (which she wouldn't let slip past the gregarious reporter), just one mention of the Nishiguchi name would spell disaster. If that happened, then having the entire school know she was granddaughter to a Yakuza family head would be the least of her problems.

_I am terribly sorry, Lady Saeri, Lady Kaoru, Lady Kahoko…but this is the only way. It will be safest if you leave Tokyo and hide._

The voice of Tachibana Kyousuke rang hollowly in her head. It had taken them more than a year to cope up with what had happened, more than a year since she had last seen her brother Keitaro. _Onii-chan, I miss you._

"Kahoko? Are you in there?"

The muffled voice of her grandfather startled Kahoko so much she almost jumped a foot in the air. Heart still pounding, she unlocked the door and opened it slightly so she could peek through. "Ojii-chan?"

Through the narrow gap she could see Nishiguchi Renji lean down slightly, a concerned frown on his face, his voice edged with tension. "Is something wrong, cupcake?"

"Oh, n-nothing's wrong, Ojii-chan. I'm fine."

Her grandfather's frown lessened to a certain degree, but did not disappear entirely. "Are you sure? If there's anything I can do Kaho, you know you just have to tell me."

Kahoko forced herself to smile. "I know, Ojii-chan. I'll be out in a few minutes, I just need to change my clothes."

A smile crept up the old man's lips, a playful light in his eyes. "But you look very much an idol, cupcake! Even the boys tell me so."

Kahoko's worry was slowly being dampened by embarrassment. "O-Ojii-chan!"

Nishiguchi Renji laughed. "Oh, come on. You can change later before we go home. I want to brag to everyone that you're my granddaughter."

Kahoko stopped. "Ano…Ojii-chan?" She looked up through the slit in the door, and saw her grandfather look questioningly at her. "I already told Yuji to tell the others—I mean, the band members—that you're supposed to be a small-time businessman from Tokyo. You know, as your alibi in case anyone asks."

The Sumiyoshi-kai _oyabun_ smiled at her. "Hmm, I think that's for the best. Maybe I should add that I deal with canning vegetables…those kinds of harmless stuff."

Kahoko couldn't help snorting. In a tailored and expensive suit? "You can't expect them to believe that, do you?"

Her grandfather gave her a knowing smirk. "Kaho-chan, you underestimate your grandfather…have I taught you nothing?" He gestured emphatically with one hand, raising his index finger. "People will believe anything with the right mixture of lies and truths."

Kahoko looked flatly at him. "That's something a swindler would say," she accused, her eyes narrowing.

"Mah, mah…you trouble yourself too much."

Kahoko sighed. Opening the door wider, she leaned against the doorpost and looked up at him. "Neh, Ojii-chan. Did you see a girl with orange hair holding a camera in the audience?"

"A girl?" Her grandfather turned thoughtful for a moment. "Wavy hair?" Kahoko nodded. "Yes, I know the one." He leaned towards her, his face turning serious with a deadly glint in his eyes. "Does she bother you, cupcake?"

"No! Nothing like that!" Kahoko said hurriedly. "It's…well…" She bit her lip uneasily. How was she going to explain about Amou Nami? She knew her grandfather was stubborn—she got that trait from him—and would not rest until he knew what was bothering her. If she told him now, it would save everyone a lot of trouble, right?

With a sigh she opened the door the rest of the way, one of her hands fingering the frothy black edge of her denim skirt. "Come in, Ojii-chan. I have something I need to tell you."

"Tell me?" The yakuza boss raised his eyebrows as he stepped inside the small dressing room. "What about? Does this have something to do with the girl you're asking about?"

"Well…" Kahoko scuffed the toe of one boot against the floor. "There's this contest at school…"

o0o0o0o

Kishino Yume frowned worriedly at Kahoko's figure retreating quickly backstage. She immediately caught sight of her son exiting the stage and dragged him to the side with a narrowed look. "What happened to Kaho-chan?"

"Don't look at me," Yuji raised his hands defensively. "The performance went really well as far as I can tell. No foul-ups." He thrust a thumb behind him. "Ask everyone if you want. We're all wondering why she just ran off like that."

Café Melody's manager twisted her lips in a thoughtful frown. She had seen Nishiguchi Renji head backstage the moment Kahoko left, his face set in a hard frown. He had seen his granddaughter upset, and that made him worry. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. Her grandfather's on his way to talk to Kaho-chan."

Yuji paled. "He's not going to get angry at us, is he?"

Yume snorted, slapping the underside of Yuji's head lightly. "Don't be ridiculous. You're overreacting. I'm pretty sure Kahoko's going to explain everything. Come on, you guys get to have a half-hour break before the next song." She caught sight of the rest of the band coming down from the stage and grinned at them. "Your dinner's on me, as usual."

"Oh good, I'm starving," groaned Spud as he thrust his drum sticks into his pants' back pocket. "I haven't eaten anything since this afternoon."

Nobu rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised? Hey, where'd Kahoko run off to?"

Yuji sighed. "She's in the dressing room. But don't go there now; her grandfather's talking to her, I think."

Ken raised an eyebrow. "Is there something going on? She took off all of a sudden."

"Yeah," Spud agreed. "And I thought she'd be jumping up and down at our brilliant performance right about now."

"Do you think it has something to do with that girl taking pictures of her?" Nobu asked.

Yuji frowned. "What girl?"

"The orange-haired chick Kishino-san told us about. I saw her taking pictures of Kahoko." Nobu scratched at his chin. "I think Kahoko saw her, too."

Yuji shared a look with his mother, who clapped a hand to his shoulder with a reassuring smile. "I'll go talk to Mio and Nao," she said before leaving. "Dinner's in the kitchen!" she called back as she left.

Nobu blinked. "I have a feeling something just happened..?"

Yuji laughed. "You're just hungry. Come on, I think we're having barbeque burgers tonight." He led them out backstage and around tables to the kitchen, raising a hand or exchanging handshakes with customers as they went. As they passed table two, Yuji caught sight of five men in dark suits nursing drinks, sitting far too stiffly in their chairs to be relaxing. He was pretty sure they were Nishiguchi's bodyguards. Holding back a sigh he led the way straight to the kitchen, hoping trouble wouldn't break out before their shift was over.

o0o0o0o

Mio was standing on tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of people across the large room when Kishino spotted them. She fixed a grin on her face and ran a hand through her short hair. "Hey. Enjoyed the show?"

Mio brightened up and bounced on the balls of her feet. "It was awesome, Kishino-san! The band was great, and Kaho-chan was brilliant!"

"Speaking of Kaho, where is she?" Nao asked. "We saw her exit the stage right after the song was over."

"We wanted to congratulate her," Mio added. "Oh, and Tsuchiura-kun is here with Amou, too." She grinned at Kishino. "They watched Kahoko's performance, too."

Nao made a face at her. "I don't know if Kahoko's going to be happy about that, though."

Kishino waived a hand in a gesture and smiled. "Don't worry, Kahoko knows about Tsuchiura coming."

"Really?" Nao asked, surprised. "Did she tell him?"

"Ah, no. Tsuchiura was here last time she sang. I think he was dragged in by his friends, and he saw Kahoko's performance by accident."

Nao let out a low whistle. "How did she take it?"

"As well as can be expected, I guess," Kishino shrugged. "I don't know about this Amou person, though." Her eyes flitted to the table nearby, where Tsuchiura was talking with a girl. "Is that her?"

"What? Oh, yeah, that's Amou." Mio stood up and waved a hand. "Hey, Amou! Come over here, I want you to meet someone!"

Kishino watched as the girl with wavy orange hair turned and grinned at their direction. She was nursing a black camera in one hand and a glass of soda in the other as she approached. Bright blue eyes twinkled at them as she smiled. "Hey, guys. I couldn't believe that was Hino Kahoko! Not only could she play the violin, but she's a really great singer, too." She patted the camera hanging off her neck. "Those shots I got of her would be great in the front pages of our school paper."

It was now perfectly clear to Kishino why Kahoko was upset. She raised an eyebrow as the girl approached. "Shouldn't you be asking Kahoko's permission before publishing any of those?"

The girl flushed slightly, but her cheeky smile remained in place. "I'm sure Hino-san would be happy to have these in print! I mean, this is good publicity for her, right?"

Kishino saw something out of the corner of her eye, and she smiled back at the student photographer. "Why don't you ask her?" And then, without another word, she waived an arm called, "Kaho-chan! Over here!"

Kahoko jumped slightly, her eyes darting around until she saw Kishino. She smiled hesitantly and took a step forward, but a large hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked up. Her grandfather was frowning slightly at Kishino, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly in Amou's direction. The café owner nodded slightly in response; the Sumiyoshi-kai oyabun raised an eyebrow, but nodded just the same. The whole exchange took no more than a few seconds.

Kishino watched as Kahoko looked up at her grandfather, mouthing something she could not hear. The old man smiled at her and shrugged, then bent low to say something. After a few seconds Kahoko smiled, nodded, and went in the direction of Kishino while Nishiguchi Renji went back to table two, his bodyguards watching behind those ridiculously dark-tinted shades.

As Kahoko approached, several of the seated customers waived and greeted her; a few seemed to be asking her name, too. Kahoko seemed delighted to answer them, although she would sometimes bow in apology and shake her head. Kishino suspected they were asking for her phone number and address, which she knew the girl would never give. The café owner fixed a grin on her face when Kahoko was suitably near to hear her over the murmur of conversation. "Getting a bit popular, aren't we?"

Kahoko flushed with a scowl. "I'm not happy about it! This is embarrassing." She fingered the hem of her denim skirt. "Is there any way I could convince you to stop making me wear these costumes?" she whined.

Kishino shook her head, the smile turning into a smirk. "Aw, c'mon, Kaho-chan. Don't tell me you're not enjoying this?" She gestured a hand towards the crowd. "Admit it, you were having fun up there."

Kahoko flushed again, brighter this time. "B-but—"

"No buts, and besides, your grandfather loved it."

That seemed to mollify Kahoko for the moment; she pressed her lips together in a thin line, crossed her arms, and uttered a childish 'hmph' before turning her eyes away. Kishino chuckled. "Come on, Mio and Nao have been waiting ages for you."

Upon hearing her friends' names Kahoko turned around, just in time to see Amou walk up to her with a wide grin.

"Hino-san! Remember me? It's Amou Nami, from the press club." She stopped right beside Kishino, who merely smiled at her and shot an inconspicuous, questioning look at Kahoko. Amou brandished her camera in one hand. "I got really good pictures of you."

Kahoko fought to keep the alarm from her face, and forced a smile instead. "That's really nice, Amou-san. But…could you please do me a favor? I really don't want you to go publishing those pictures in school." She looked at Amou pleadingly. "In fact, I don't want anyone knowing that I sing here, at all."

The grin fell from Amou's face. She tilted her head in confusion. "Eh? Why not?"

"Please, Amou-san. I can't explain things to you right now, but I would be very grateful if you didn't spread those pictures around."

"Well…"

"Something wrong, Kaho-chan?"

All three of them turned to see Mio and Nao approach. Their gazes passed from Kahoko, to Amou, to Kishino. It was Nao who spoke up, a slight frown on her face when she saw Kahoko's distressed expression. "What's up?"

Kishino spoke up before anyone else could. "Kaho-chan was asking Amou-san if she could keep from publishing her pictures."

"Oh, we forgot to tell you, Amou-san!" Mio exclaimed. "Kaho-chan likes to keep her work at _Café Melody_ a secret."

Amou turned to Kahoko. "Why?"

Kahoko sighed. "I want to keep my job here a secret because it keeps things simpler," she answered truthfully. "And with the concours ongoing at the school, word of this would keep rumors going for days." She frowned. "I really don't need that kind of trouble."

Amou frowned herself, sighing. "Well, I can understand your situation…but darn it, those pictures of you were really good!" She scratched at her temple, trying to decide.

Kahoko grabbed Amou's hand and squeezed it. "Please, Amou-san, I won't ask you for anything but this." She paused. "Well, except that you should keep this a secret, too."

"What? I can't tell anyone about you working here, too?" Amou complained.

Kishino cleared her throat. "If you didn't, then there wouldn't be any purpose to you keeping the pictures a secret, right?"

"Oh, pooh." Amou looked defeated. "Fine, I'll keep all of this hush-hush. I might be a reporter, but I'm not a snake, either." She smiled at Kahoko. "The pictures will be kept a secret, at least until you change your mind."

Relief flooded through Kahoko so much her eyes were beginning to sting. In her intense relief she hugged Amou in a rush of red and black. "Thank you, Amou-san! Thank you!"

Amou could do nothing but smile sheepishly. Mio and Nao watched with amused grins while Kishino smirked. Well, that went well. "Alright, since we're all here and Kahoko's not to sing for another half hour, why don't we enjoy the night, eh?"

Kahoko let Amou go and whirled to face Kishino with incredulity. "I'm going to sing _again_?"

"Yep. The crowd's been asking an encore of 'Rolling Star'."

Kahoko sighed. "There's no way I'm getting out of this, am I?"

Kishino's smirk turned manic. "No chance in hell, Kaho-chan."

o0o0o0o

Tsuchiura Ryoutarou was watching the entire conversation from a few tables away, sipping at his root beer. For a moment he had been distracted by Hino's punk rock costume, his eyes darting down to her long legs constantly. And the common sense in his head constantly had to wrench his eyes back up to her face, a flush of guilt and shame spreading across his face.

_Mind out of the gutter, Ryou. Mind out of the gutter…_

He had come to _Café Melody_ alone this time. When Anji heard Ryou was going, he chuckled and joked about Ryou 'finally becoming a man'. He had wanted to smack Anji up the head for that, but the slippery bugger had the gall to give him a shit-eating grin before bolting out the classroom door that afternoon. Luckily for Anji, his mother had wanted him to run errands, else he'd be sitting right next to Ryoutarou, nursing a drink and a lump on the head…

His focus returned to Hino, who was wearing a troubled frown at the moment. He had a hunch she was asking Amou not to develop the pictures she'd taken. If her reaction on his presence at the café days ago was any indication, she would want Amou to keep her secret, too.

He eyed Amou for a moment, who looked torn. He had met the press club reporter by accident while coming here. She had been pestering him for an interview on the soccer club's progress, when she asked him a question that seemed quite harmless at the time…

"Wait a minute, Tsuchiura," she said as she scribbled down notes. "What _are_ you doing here, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to visit a friend. She works at this café—" He shut his mouth before he could say anything else. _Oh shit._

Amou's eyebrows had risen in interest, a sly smile pulling up the corners of her mouth. "A friend, eh? So does this mean the soccer team's most promising player has a _girlfriend_?" She emphasized the last word with a wriggle of her eyebrows, her pen and pad at the ready.

By now Ryoutarou was calling himself ten kinds of idiots. "Er…that's not it, Amou-san. She's really more an acquaintance than a friend. We've only just met."

"Really," Amou replied, not sounding convinced. "Well, who is she, then?"

Ryou insisted it was not important. Which was, he had learned, the wrong thing to say. Amou's eyes had sparkled in intense interest, as if smelling the outright lie, and pestered him nonstop for a name.

"It's really none of your business, Amou-san," Ryoutarou sighed exasperatedly for the tenth time, raking a hand through his hair. He gave her a hard-eyed stare. "Can you please just drop this interview off?"

Amou only gave him a suspicious look. "Well, if you don't want to tell me, I'll just have to find out myself."

Ryoutarou growled under his breath. Didn't the woman ever stop? "Good luck with that," he muttered, turning away. He couldn't very well lead her to _Café Melody_, could he? He had wanted to see Hino sing again, but he didn't want to risk having Amou find out.

"Hey!" Amou frowned at Ryoutarou's retreating figure. "Where are you going?!"

"Home," Ryoutarou called back, a bit glumly.

"What? But I thought you were going to see your friend?"

_No thanks to you, that plan's been spoiled._ "Changed my mind," he lied.

Amou placed a hand on her hip. "It's at that café around the corner, right? What was the name… oh yeah! _Café Melody!_"

Hearing the name of the place stopped Ryoutarou in his tracks. He turned and looked wide-eyed at Amou, who smirked victoriously upon seeing the look on the soccer player's face. Amou sauntered over to him and crossed her arms superiorly over her chest. "So you _are_ going to that café. What? You thought I didn't know?"

"How…?"

"I've done a review on the place about a year back. If I remember correctly, it's the only café in the block, and it's owned by that energetic woman with the short hair." Amou laughed. "To tell you the truth, I wouldn't even remember it so easily if it weren't for the woman's attitude."

Figuring there was still a way to salvage the situation, Ryoutarou fought to keep a straight face as he said, "You're wrong. I'm not going there."

"Right." Amou smiled slyly at him before shrugging. "Oh well. If you're not coming…then I guess I have to go by my own."

"What?!" Ryou couldn't keep the alarm off his voice.

"This is a free country, Tsuchiura. I can go to _Café Melody_ whenever I want, and it just so happens that I have a mind to go right now." She smiled innocently, then turned to walk in the direction of the café.

There had been no changing Amou's mind after that. Ryoutarou sighed, taking a long sip of his root beer. In a way, it was his fault that Amou found out about Hino. _Which means I owe her an apology…way to go, Ryou. A real ladykiller you are._

He looked up to see Hino approaching, along with her friends and Amou, plus the café's owner. To his relief, Hino didn't look at all troubled. In fact, she seemed somewhat happy. "Hello, Tsuchiura-kun," she greeted with a small smile. "Amou said she came here with you?"

"Er, yeah about that," Ryou nervously set aside his drink. "You see, I didn't really mean to let her come here—she was annoying me with these questions about the soccer team—"

"Hey!" Amou said indignantly, glaring at Tsuchiura. "I was interviewing you!"

Kahoko chuckled. "It's alright, Tsuchiura-kun. I'm not angry at all. Amou-san told me everything."

"She did?" Ryou couldn't keep the disbelief in his tone. He glanced at Amou, who harrumphed loudly and settled in her seat, taking a large gulp out of her orange juice. She shot him an angry look.

"What? You thought I wouldn't?"

"Er…no," Ryou answered hastily, not wanting to be on the girl's bad side. The others seated themselves comfortably around the table. Kishino pulled up two more chairs for her and Hino, who sat in between Mio and Nao.

"So," the café manager began, grinning from ear to ear, "I take it you loved Kaho-chan's performance?"

Everyone nodded, all except Kahoko, who blushed deeply. Kishino laughed. "That's great! By the way Amou-san, Kahoko sings here every Monday and Wednesday, if you're interested to see her sing again."

"Of course I am!" Amou answered enthusiastically. She smiled at Kahoko. "You don't mind if I come to watch, right?"

"Ah, n-no," Kahoko stammered. "I mean, I'd be happy if you came to watch."

"You can come with us," Mio offered, Nao nodding her agreement. "We always come to watch Kahoko sing."

"And bring your camera with you!" added Kishino with a grin. "Take shots of Kaho-chan, and I'd buy the negatives from you. I want a professional to do the job."

Amou's eyes sparkled in interest again. "What's your price, Kishino-san?"

"How about a thousand yen per shot?"

"Make it two thousand and you have yourself a deal."

Kishino chuckled. "I like you, Amou-san. You're like the daughter I never had. Deal." She offered her hand.

Amou shook it firmly with a grin that looked awfully like Kishino's. "Excellent."

Kahoko couldn't keep back the groan that escaped her throat. _Great. MORE pictures. At least these will go straight to Kishino-san, but I still don't get why the woman wants to have my pictures taken so much._

After Nao took a sip of her soda, she looked up from the table. "Hey, Kaho. I only just noticed, but that's your grandfather on the table up front, right?"

Everyone looked in the direction Nao was staring. Nobody saw Kahoko flinch. "Yeah, he wanted to see me sing today," she replied, trying to keep her voice even.

Sensing her distress, Kishino added, "Kahoko's grandfather is visiting from Tokyo."

"Oh yeah. You did mention you were from Tokyo, didn't you, Hino?" asked Tsuchiura as the others went back to their conversation.

Kahoko nodded. Amou raised both her eyebrows. "Wow. You're from Tokyo? What was it like in the city?"

"Busy," Kahoko admitted. "My mom decided to take me and my sister out of the hustle and bustle of the city, that's why we came here."

"She has an elder brother," piped in Mio, eager to add her own to the talk. "He's in college, so he had to stay in Tokyo."

Kahoko smiled at her. "That's right."

"Oh. How about your father then?"

The moment the question was out of her lips, Amou knew it was the wrong thing to ask. Kahoko's face had become rigid, her smile melting quickly. "He's dead," she answered in a half-whisper, her eyes half closing as she looked down at the table.

"A-ah. I'm sorry."

Kahoko shook her head. "It's alright," she replied in an even tone, but she still wasn't looking up.

Amou frowned worriedly, guilt making her stop. Mio and Nao shared sad looks. They knew that Kahoko's father had died two years ago, and the topic was still too sensitive to be brought up whenever Kahoko was around. From what Kahoko's mother had told them, they had been pretty close.

Suddenly Kishino clapped her hands, making everyone at the table jump. "What's with all this tension, people? Come on, you're in my café; it's pretty depressing to think my customers are unhappy." She smiled at all of them. "Forget about moody thoughts for the meantime; your next round of drinks is on me." She put a hand on Kahoko's shoulder. "You'd better go backstage now, Kaho-chan. I'm calling Yuji and the others."

Kaho looked up and smiled gratefully at Kishino. "Alright." She murmured apologies to everyone and left.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kishino saw Nishiguchi Renji frown worriedly after his granddaughter's form hurrying backstage.

o0o0o0o

"So she's harmless then?"

Kishino Yume poured Kahoko's grandfather another glass of scotch and settled back on the wooden-back chair facing her desk. The yakuza leader himself was seating in her black leather swivel seat. They were alone in her office, which was situated on the third floor of the building _Café Melody_ was built. His bodyguards were all out the hallway by the door.

Kishino nodded. "Yes. Amou Nami is a press club reporter in their school. She has agreed to keep the pictures private."

"Hmm."

Kishino let her chin rest on one propped hand. "I don't think she was lying, Nishiguchi-sama. She seemed a very nice girl."

Renji raised an eyebrow but did not say anything for a while. He took a sip of the alcohol and settled the glass back on the desk with a soft chink. "Will she be watching Kahoko regularly from now on?"

"Yes," Kishino replied, glancing at the clock by the wall. It was close to two in the morning. The café was already closed, all her customers home and sleeping. Her own son Yuji was already home, too. "Amou-san has expressed her want to come see Kaho-chan sing."

"And if she takes more pictures?"

Kishino smiled, already anticipating this. "If she does, she will be doing it for me. I hired her to take Kaho-chan's pictures. I'm paying her for the negatives, not the photos."

Renji nodded appreciatively. "Good." He took another sip of the scotch and sighed. "Although if you ask me, it would be nice if Kahoko got her pictures in the newspaper, eh?" He laughed aloud, his voice booming. "Who would have thought my own granddaughter would be a star, even if it was in a small town like this?"

Kishino's smiled widened. "She always had the potential, Nishiguchi-sama."

The old man waived a hand in the air. "Enough with the formalities, Yume-san. You're my daughter-in-law's best friend. That means you're family."

"Sorry, Nishiguchi-sama, but I can't do that. I owe you my life and the lives of my husband and my son. If it weren't for you, I don't think we'd have escaped from the Inagawa's clutches with our lives." Kishino bowed deeply.

"Think nothing of it Yume-san. If there is someone you should thank, it's Saeri. And anyway, I consider that debt paid in full." He lifted the glass in way of a toast, towards her. "You've helped Saeri and her daughters settle into this place very well. And you've even given my little Kahoko a job."

"I would have done more, but Saeri-chan insisted it was enough."

Renji chuckled. "At least she let you help. I offered to pay for all of their expenses, but Saeri insisted they could manage without me." He sighed, a smile touching his lips. "Saeri is a very strong woman. And stubborn, just like my son."

Kishino murmured her agreement. "Kahoko's exactly the same way."

Renji chuckled again, louder this time. "True." He settled into the chair. "By the way, have you heard about this concours at Kahoko's school?"

"I have, actually." Kishino smiled again. "Kahoko's going to participate. She plays the violin."

"I never knew she could play," Renji mused.

"Neither did I. But she played for me a while back. She was very good, sir."

"Really?" Renji sounded genuinely pleased. He downed the rest of the scotch in one go and stood up, Kishino following after him. He glanced at his wrist watch. "I better go, Yume-san. You go and catch some sleep. It must be hard running a café."

"Not at all," Kishino replied. "I rather enjoy it. And my husband enjoys it, too."

"Say hello to him for me, will you?" When Kishino nodded, he added, "Oh yes. Can you give me the address of Kahoko's school?"

Kishino looked questioningly at him. "Sir?"

Renji grinned, a twinkle in his eye. "I have a mind to go watch this concours for myself."

o0o0o0o

_End Chapter 6._

_I'm really sorry for making you wait for this! Please don't kill me! Er…it wouldn't be too much to ask for reviews, will it? *dodges an apple thrown in her direction* Hey! I was asking pretty nicely! *pouts*_

_Anyway, Chapter 7 will be uploaded in the next week. Really!_

_Read and review!_

_PS: Does anyone know the name of the girl who had volunteered to accompany Kahoko during the first round of the concours? You know, the one who didn't show up…I would really appreciate it if you told me (I have something in store for her…he he)! Thanks!_

_Edited January 14 2009: Thanks to **Verbeia** for pointing out a minor typo. ^_^_


	7. Disguises

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda d' Oro Fanfiction_

_Author's Notes: At last, a few days worth of break! Good Lord, I thought I would never have a day of rest…thank the heavens for small reprieves. If you guys have not visited my profile, or read any of my other stories, I have announced a hiatus from writing and beta-ing because I have to study for my professional licensure exams. The official date of my return is the end of May, but because I have been allowed a few days of study-free bliss, I managed to scrape together this chapter! Hurrah! There are a lot of cut-scenes here, but I think I did a nice job stringing them together to make it cohesive as a chapter._

_On a funnier note, a plot bunny suddenly popped into my desk one day, demanding that I make this a harem-type fic, so Kahoko has a bevy of handsome bishounen at her beck and call. I actually tried to imagine it, but reckoned her grandfather would have a heart attack if that happened. With that thought another plot bunny hopped onto my desk and tried to convince me to just make Kahoko a kick-ass yakuza boss's granddaughter, complete with cool fighting styles and 'I-am-cool-and-you-are-not' attitude, but then where's the fun in that? I want a bumbling Kahoko thank you very much. So before another plot bunny decided to make its presence known, I stowed the first two away into my dresser. They're still there, hoping to be freed, but I won't do that for a while yet. Maybe when I want to write another story…_

_Lastly, I made this a super-sized chapter (almost double its usual length) to make up for the delay, and the hiatus still in place. Aren't you glad my conscience made me feel so guilty?_

_Cookies to: __**stellar24**__ for identifying Shouji Megumi for me! Thank you so much!_

_Warnings/Disclaimers: All La Corda d'Oro names, places, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. The song "Aozora no Namida" is by Hitomi Takahashi, and was used as the first opening song for the anime, BLOOD+. As previously said in chapter five, the rating for this story will change per chapter depending on the content. Also, I am not in any way advertising the brands you may see in this chapter. I only wish I had them, too._

_This chapter is rated T._

**Chapter 7: Disguises**

Waking up with a groan, Kahoko fumbled for the alarm clock shrilly ringing on her bedside drawer. She cursed under her breath when her first few pats on the wooden surface procured nothing. With a deadly glint in her eye she poked her head out of the warm blankets, glared at the offending clock, and flung it to the opposite wall, where it promptly crashed with a loud bang, broke into pieces, and became silent.

Nodding to herself with a small content smile, Kahoko settled back onto the bed, sighing blissfully as her head hit the pillow.

A knock broke through the silence. Kahoko pointedly ignored it and buried herself deeper into the covers. A few more minutes and the door opened, revealing Kahoko's mother wearing a smile on her face.

"Wake up, Kaho! You're going to be late again if you don't get up," she said in a loud, cheery tone. Her smile fell, however, upon seeing the remains of what was once Kahoko's alarm clock. She tsked loudly. "Dear, that was the fifth clock you destroyed this month."

Kahoko grunted from under the covers.

Saeri sighed, rolling her eyes. "The new clock will come out of your allowance, you know."

Another grunt, followed by growled mutters.

"I'm sorry, Kaho, but what did you say?" Saeri asked lightly, her smile coming back.

With a loud sigh Kahoko flung the blankets away and pouted at her mother. "It's too early, mom," she groaned. "Ten more minutes?"

Her mother rolled her eyes. "No, Kaho. It's already past six in the morning. Come on, I made you waffles," she added with another smile, then left the room.

Kahoko sighed, resigning herself to the inevitable. _I am so not a morning person_. She stretched and yawned, trudging out of bed and shuffling over to the bathroom to get the warm shower running.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still bleary with sleep, and her hair stuck out in odd places. She winced inwardly at the sight, before sighing again and made to brush her teeth.

As she went with her morning routine, Kahoko's thoughts drifted to the events last night. It was to her intense relief that everything went so well; Kahoko didn't think that Amou would have agreed easily to her request, but agree she did. It was extremely nice of her; maybe Amou wasn't just an annoying photographer, after all.

She was also glad her grandfather had kept his word, and done nothing except watch her performance and actually _behaved_. A smile quirked her lips. Her grandfather had even been very polite and cordial when she introduced him to Tsuchiura-kun and Amou-san. Both had been initially intimidated by the old man's size and bearing, but in time they were just as comfortable as the rest. Knowing he was just a small-time businessman canning fruits and vegetables helped a lot, too.

Half an hour later, a refreshed, smiling Kahoko was going down the stairs, humming _Gavotte_ as she walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, mom!" She walked over to the sink where her mother stood beating a bowl of eggs, leaned over, and gave her a light peck on the cheek.

Saeri smiled at the sweet gesture. "Good morning, Kaho-chan," she greeted back with a smile of her own. "You're in a really good mood."

Kahoko's smile widened. "Everything went well at work last night."

Her mother made a noncommittal sound in her throat as she took out a pan and placed it on the stove. "So I take it your grandfather loved your performance?"

Kahoko flushed slightly, remembering the look of pride on her Ojii-san's face. "Well, yeah."

"You mean something else happened?"

"Yes," Kahoko admitted. "See, a few friends from school were there…and I kind of introduced them to Ojii-san."

Saeri poured the beaten eggs onto the heated pan and turned to give her daughter a sincerely happy smile. "That's wonderful, Kaho-chan."

"I told them Ojii-san's a businessman making money out of canning vegetables, though. But they all got along great."

"That's nice to hear, dear. Oh, can you pass me the salt and the pepper on the counter?"

"Sure." Kahoko stood up and took the spices from the tiled counter. She stopped. "Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you making food for a small army?" Kahoko eyed the large stack of toasts and waffles, then the large tray of sausages. She glanced over at the pan on the stove, then the emptied carton that had previously contained a dozen eggs.

"Oh, your grandfather's coming to eat breakfast with us."

"Um, okay. But Ojii-san is just one person."

"Of course I included all of your grandfather's men, silly," Kahoko's mother chuckled. "Just like old times, neh?"

The memory brought a smile to Kahoko's lips, too. Back at the Sumiyoshi _gumi_, her mother would have a small army of cooks and helpers assist her whenever she cooked, and she would always include portions for _everyone_ lucky enough to be in the house. Her mother's cooking was nothing if not heavenly, and the Sumiyoshi-kai men all worshipped her like a queen for it. Kahoko chuckled. "You'll have all of them kneeling at your feet come lunch."

"You're exaggerating, Kaho," her mother rolled her eyes. "The poor dears just don't have anyone cooking for them, that's all."

Kahoko snorted. Those 'poor dears' would break the neck of anyone who so much as glanced in their direction if they felt like it. It was a good thing the Sumiyoshi-kai members were not your ordinary run-of-the-mill street thugs; Kahoko knew for a fact that her grandfather personally oversaw their training, and made sure each of them were dressed to kill. Literally and figuratively.

Just then the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Kahoko stood up from where she was leaning on the counter. "Is Kaoru-nee san up yet?"

"She's sleeping in for a bit. Your sister had to work overtime last night."

"Oh." Kahoko opened the door, to find her grandfather's formidable build blocking the doorway. He was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes crinkling near to slits at the sight of her.

"Cupcake!" He boomed, his arms wide open.

Kahoko would have sweat-dropped, had she not expected the greeting. "Good morning, Ojii-san," she greeted with a small bow, although her grin was just as wide. "Mom said you'd be joining us for breakfast." She tilted her head slightly to grin at her grandfather's bodyguards. "You too, Uncle Jin. And the rest, of course."

Smiles broke out from stoic faces. Yep, Kahoko thought inwardly with a chuckle, her mother could take over the Sumiyoshi-kai in a twinkling. She led the way into the living room, knowing they couldn't all possibly fit into the kitchen. Most of the men went inside with slightly awkward expressions; Kahoko tried to make them as comfortable as possible. She knew they were here for work, and did not expect that the granddaughter of the person they were here to protect would be treating them like guests.

As they went to automatically position themselves near exit points of the living room, Kahoko insisted that they make themselves comfortable by sitting on the couch and the chairs. She saw her grandfather and her Uncle Jin smirking, but did not say anything. "Come on guys," she insisted with a grin, "sit. The chairs won't bite."

"But Kahoko-ojou sama," began one of the bodyguards, clearly uncomfortable, "we shouldn't be—"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're guests while you're here," Kahoko replied with a wave of her hand. "We're not in the _gumi_." She tilted her head at them. "You're new, aren't you?"

The bodyguard who had spoken up nodded, a slight blush of embarrassment in his cheeks. "Er…how did you know, Ojou-sama?"

Kahoko giggled. "Well, if you had been with the _gumi_ long enough, you would know that I don't want to be called 'Kahoko-ojou sama'. 'Kahoko' is fine."

Jin snorted. "Nonsense. You will address her as Kahoko-sama, or Ojou-sama," he directed the last to the other four bodyguards, who nodded and replied with a curt 'yessir'.

Kahoko rolled her eyes. Well, she had to try, didn't she? "As long as you don't call me by the full 'Kahoko-ojou sama' I guess it's fine," she sighed. She looked over at her grandfather. "Mom is almost finished cooking. Kaoru-nee san is still sleeping. She worked overtime yesterday," she explained.

"That's alright, I'll come back later to visit her," the yakuza boss smiled. He turned and took something from Jin. It was a box covered in silver wrapper. "Here, cupcake. My gift for that great performance last night. Me and the boys were mighty proud of you." He gave the gift to Kahoko, who received it with a heavy blush of pleasure.

"T-Thanks, Ojii-san!" She peeled the wrapper carefully and opened the box. It was a mobile phone, sleeker and more elegant than the one she already owned, in metallic red. Tilting the box to her, she read the cover. It was a Motorola KRZR K1 Red. She grinned with obvious delight as she read the phone's specifics.

Her Uncle Jin smiled. "Kahoko-ojou, the phone has been directly connected to Renji-sama's secure line. We've already put in the necessary phone numbers in case of emergencies—the usual," he added, knowing Kahoko would understand. "And please do not worry about the phone bill, Renji-sama has already arranged for everything."

"Thank you, Ojii-san!" Kahoko repeated, hugging her grandfather fiercely, who chuckled at her reaction. "Even Keitaro-nii san's number is in here!"

"Yes, I thought it would be a good idea," her grandfather answered wryly, a knowing smirk on his lips. "But to be sure, contact him using the secure line I told you about."

Kahoko was too happy to receive the phone to even wonder why, and merely nodded as she sprinted to the kitchen. "Mom, look! Ojii-san's got me a new phone!"

Kahoko and her mother served breakfast not soon after, and before long they were all eating and chatting happily among themselves, even the bodyguards. Kahoko listened to them talk about how they had come to join the Sumiyoshi-kai, and even their training.

"You know, Kahoko-ojou," said one while grinning, "Your grandfather was the strictest _sensei_ anyone of us has ever met. He'd tell us to do fifty sit-ups if we so much as blinked at the wrong time!"

Kahoko laughed. "Yes, he was like that with me and my siblings, too."

"Eh? You mean he also trained you to…fight?"

"Who me? Oh no!" Kahoko hurriedly clarified. "But he did teach my brother somewhat. He taught me and Kaoru-nee san something else, though."

"Do you mind if we ask what it is, Ojou?" asked another, very curious.

Kahoko grinned at them. "Etiquette."

"Etiquette?!" Repeated three bodyguards, their faces identical looks of shock.

Somebody cleared their throat very loudly behind them. They turned around and blanched when they saw Nishiguchi Renji eyeing them narrowly. "And what's wrong with teaching my granddaughters etiquette?"

"N-nothing boss!"

"We were j-just wondering!"

Kahoko felt a bit of pity mixed in with her amusement at finding the three bodyguards, all young and well-built, wither at the sight of her grandfather looming over them. They hastily escaped with murmured excuses that they were running out of eggs and bacon on their plates, before rushing to the kitchen.

"Well, I'd be surprised to find out about it if I didn't know you at all, Ojii-san," Kahoko chuckled while her grandfather sat on the long sofa with her, a frown on his face at the retreating bodyguards.

"Keh. If they have time to wonder how in the world I knew about etiquette, they should probably be put under some serious training while I'm here," he grumbled.

"Oh come on, grandpa. They were just surprised, that's all," Kahoko chided lightly. "By the way, how long will you be visiting?"

"Hmm? Oh, I feel like staying for a bit," her grandfather replied lightly. He grinned. "Wouldn't want to miss your little contest at school, right?" He had lowered his voice conspiratorially at the end, so that Kahoko's mother wouldn't hear.

Kahoko flushed crimson, her eyes widening. "B-But—"

"Ah, no buts this time, cupcake," Renji wagged a finger at her as he smiled. "I want to see you play that violin of yours. Kishino claims you're really very good at it."

Kahoko's eyes flashed. "Kishino-san told you?"

"I actually weaseled it out of her, so there's no need for you to get mad at her." Her grandfather laughed jovially. "I didn't believe her at first, but the way she told me the story changed my mind." He tilted his head at her. "How did you learn to play the violin anyway? Did you start after you left Tokyo?"

"Er…" Now how do I explain about a fairy?! "Um, yeah, I started after we left. But you know, Ojii-san, I'm still a beginner…"

"That's alright," her grandfather cut in. "I'd still watch you. And these retards, too, of course," he thrust a thumb behind him with a chuckle. "They've all become your dedicated fans after that performance, after all."

"But your work—the _gumi—_"

"Ah, don't worry too much about everything, Kaho-chan." Her grandfather leaned back into the sofa. "Besides, Tachibana's in the _gumi_ to keep things in order while I'm here."

Seeing there was no way she could convince her grandfather not to stay too long, Kahoko sighed in defeat. _Well, it's not so bad, I guess…I just have to hide the fact that he's yakuza. That's not so hard, right?_ "Er, does this mean we have to go along with the canning business thing?"

Her grandfather grinned. "Yep. Don't worry cupcake, I promise you won't even see me and my boys in your school unless we're there to fetch and pick you up, or to watch you perform."

Kahoko's tensed shoulders slumped in relief. "Oh, okay." She froze. "Wait. Did you say fetch and pick me up?"

Her grandfather grinned cheekily at her. "You didn't expect me to let you go walking to school while I'm here, did you?"

o0o0o0o

_At least they changed cars._

Kahoko groaned mentally, her head hitting the smooth leather headrest of the car. It was not the Bentley, thank heavens, but it was still too conspicuous, in Kahoko's opinion. She chanced a glanced behind her, to where another car was following theirs.

Both were Chrysler 300 full-body sedans, brand new and painted black. Her grandfather explained that they didn't want to catch too much attention, so he opted to buy two, 'more economic' cars. _They still look good, even though they only cost me 28,000 dollars a piece!_

Kahoko sighed. Trust her grandfather to do something audacious and pass it as something mundane. _These cars are still conspicuous! Put little flags on top of the hood and they're the Prime Minister's cars!_

Her Uncle Jin was driving their car, with her grandfather in the passenger's seat while she alone occupied the back. The other four bodyguards were in the other car following behind them, all serious and business-like again. For a moment Kahoko admired their dedication to the job, before the current situation bothered her again.

"Ojii-san, can you stop at the corner before the school? I think I should walk the rest of the way."

Her grandfather twisted 'round in his seat to give her a questioning look. "Whatever for, cupcake? We could just drive right inside the school and let you off at the front door."

_Which is exactly what I DO NOT want._ Kahoko fixed a smile on her face. "Well…wouldn't it be too weird if I suddenly arrived at school in a car? We're supposed to be maintaining our cover here, aren't we?"

Jin looked at her through the rearview window, a smile on his face. He knew exactly what Kahoko was saying. "Boss, I think Ojou-sama is right. It's going to be very inconvenient later on if rumors begin to spread in school." When his boss remained frowning, he added, "Remember the school reporter at the café last night."

"Hmm. Very well," he grudgingly admitted, and Kahoko brightened. "Tell them, Jin."

"Yes, boss." Jin fished out his own phone, identical to Kahoko's except that his was black, and pressed a button. "It's me. Ojou-sama wants to be dropped off at the corner of her school block." With a flick of his wrist he pocketed his phone again in one swift movement.

Kahoko whistled. "That's cool. Hey Uncle Jin, you gotta teach me that."

The bodyguard smiled at her. "Of course, Ojou."

As he expertly maneuvered the car to stop right at the corner, Kahoko asked, "Why'd you learn to flip your phone like that?"

The bodyguard's smile turned into a toothy grin. Jin mused vaguely that his grin often made men sweat bullets in his presence, but to his boss and Kahoko-ojou, it only made them grin back. The thought pleased him greatly, his chest swelling with pride. "Gives me enough time to draw out my gun when needed, Ojou."

"Ah."

o0o0o0o

Nishiguchi Renji watched as Kahoko's figure vanished around the corner before glancing at his chief bodyguard. "Where are they?" His voice had gone cold, more business-like.

Watanabe Jin noticed, and his own visage changed subtly. His smile was gone, and his face had turned into an unreadable mask. He nodded subtly. He glanced at his rear-view mirror. "They are coming, boss."

The yakuza _oyabun_ looked to where Jin had glanced. The other sedan had parked right behind them, and two men were stepping out. Renji vaguely noted that they were the two youngest of the bodyguards he had come here with; he nodded in satisfaction. They would do very nicely.

He lowered his window completely, his eyes studying the young men as they approached. Both wore the standard suits and dark-tinted shades he required of all his men, their faces mirroring looks of imperturbable calm. They carried nothing. Renji smiled inwardly. He remembered these two. They were the ones who had been dubious about his teaching skills on etiquette. He grinned at the thought, and the two bodyguards faltered slightly, their cool expressions slipping.

"So it's the both of you, is it?" he asked.

The two young yakuza members bowed. "Yessir," they answered crisply, even though they had begun shifting uncomfortably at the way their boss grinned almost maniacally at them.

Renji turned to Jin with one raised eyebrow. "Have you told them what their assignment is?"

Jin nodded. "Yes, boss."

"Good." Renji smiled briefly at him, then turned towards the young men standing outside the car, waiting for his instructions. "Remember: be as inconspicuous as possible. Don't let her see you. I want to know what she does when, and where. I want to know who she's with. Names, pictures, background. But your first priority is to always make sure she is unharmed." His grin fell, a grim frown replacing it. "Understood?"

The two bodyguards stiffened. "Y-Yessir!"

Renji wanted to laugh. Ah, he's still got it. "And one more thing," he added, as Jin began to rev up the engine. "If you can, record a video of Kaho-chan playing the violin."

The two bodyguards bowed again, nodding. They backed a pace as the car drove off, followed by the other black sedan. As one they turned to the corner where their ojou had run to moments ago. They squared their shoulders and walked to the school, determined to fulfill their mission before the day was over.

o0o0o0o

Kahoko was excited. She grinned all the way to her classroom. Once in a while she would touch the mobile phone in her skirt pocket, and her smile would widen a bit. Finally, she would be able to talk to her brother!

Mio and Nao were pleasantly surprised to find Kahoko in such a good mood when she walked in the room with a grin. Nao was the first to notice. She gave Kahoko a look-over, then smirked. "So. I take it something good happened?"

"Eh? Oh, yeah!" Kahoko giggled. Nao and Mio looked confused for a moment, before smiles spread on their own faces.

"Well, what's the good news?" piped Mio.

"It's a secret," Kahoko smiled, sitting on her chair and serenely resting her chin on a propped hand.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Mio puffed with a pout as she sat on the seat next to Kahoko. "We're your friends—we have the right to be privy to you secrets!"

"So you'd better spill," Nao added with a Cheshire cat-like grin. "Did that soccer player confess his feelings for you?"

"W-what?!" Kahoko blushed to her hair, eyes widening. "What the hell are you talking about Nao? Tsuchiura-kun is a friend!"

"Right," Nao replied, clearly not believing her. Her grin turned into a smirk. "And friends ogle their friends while wearing hot, sexy outfits, right?" Mio giggled at the sight of a flustered Kahoko. "Don't tell you didn't notice the way he was staring at you?"

"No!" Kahoko shook her head vehemently, her blush turning a shade deeper. "And Tsuchiura-kun was not staring at me!"

"Yes he was," Mio said in a singsong voice. She sighed dramatically, her eyes fluttering. "Ah, too bad he's not in the concours and plays the violin, but all the same this is such an exciting development in Kaho-chan's life!"

Kahoko looked at her as if she had grown another head. "What are you talking about?"

"The 'Violin Romance', Kaho-chan! 'Violin Romance'!" Mio sighed dreamily. "But if you decide to date Tsuchiura that's good, too." She paused for a moment. "Or you can go with…um, who was that cute trumpet player, again?"

"Hihara Kazuki," Nao supplied with an amused grin.

Mio nodded to her. "Yes, him. You can go out with him, too. Or Yunoki-sempai! Or—"

"Do you plan to have me go out with everyone?" Kahoko sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes. "Besides, Hihara-sempai and Yunoki-sempai are out of my league."

"Then you're going out with Tsuchiura?"

Kahoko made a strangled noise in her throat as she fought down her blush. "Mio, Tsuchiura-kun does not feel that way about me! And I certainly don't feel that way about him, either! We're friends!"

Nao chuckled. "So why are you blushing?"

Kahoko glared indignantly, the red in her cheeks becoming more pronounced. "I am not blushing!"

Both of her friends only giggled in response, and Kahoko was left to splutter and puff her cheeks indignantly at them, unable to come up with a better response. They kept teasing her about Tsuchiura, even some of the concours participants, until their homeroom teacher arrived. Kahoko had never been as grateful of her teacher's presence as she had been that day.

As class began to settle down, she felt the phone vibrate in silent mode against her hip. She discreetly took it out and flipped it open with a thumb, a smile stretching her lips when she found out it was a message from her grandfather, wishing her a good day, and luck for her practice. She told him earlier that she was going to practice the violin that afternoon.

"Woah, new phone, huh?" Nao leaned over slightly and whispered to her, staring at the phone. "It's the latest model, too. Did your grandfather give you that?"

"Yeah." Kahoko tucked the phone back into her pocket. "He gave it to me this morning."

"Cool. I wish I had a doting grandfather, too."

Kahoko snorted. "Better watch what you're wishing for, Nao." _You have no idea who Ojii-san is…_

Nao looked strangely at her, but did not bother to reply. Their sensei was already calling out attendance.

o0o0o0o

Mio was by no means the brightest in the bunch, but being an artist and amateur fashion designer, she had developed the ability to detect details that would normally go unnoticed by anyone else. An uneven haircut, or maybe a collar folded out-of-place. A spot of dirt on someone's shirt, or a haphazardly stitched hem.

That late morning while in their gym class, Mio noticed something out of the ordinary. As she sat down on the grassy field, her eyes fixed themselves on two guys who seemed to be pruning the bushes that grew right up the gymnasium building's wall, near the field where they were supposed to be playing soccer. She tilted her head. Didn't the school only have three gardeners, all of them old men?

"I'm beat." Nao suddenly appeared beside her, sprawling on the grass and wiping the sweat on her forehead with a hand. "Aren't you going to play?"

Mio shook her head. "Coach said I should sit this one out. I was already able to score a few points in the last game."

Nao shook her head. "I still can't believe you're actually a decent soccer player, Mio."

Mio playfully pulled her tongue out at her. "Just because I prefer to draw clothes doesn't mean I can't do anything else."

Nao laughed. "Apparently though, Kahoko's not much of an athlete." They both turned to the soccer field, to see Kahoko fumble with the soccer ball and tried to kick it. Tried being the operative word, because she only managed to kick up dust and bits of grass, the ball still right where it had been for the pat few minutes. They could see most of their classmates laughing, while Kahoko turned beet red and bowed several times in apology. Their coach shook his head and whistled for a time out.

Mao laughed, Nao joining her. "You're right." Her eyes turned to the two gardeners again, who had by now abandoned their work and were watching the class. They were wearing, of all things, dark shades that hid their eyes. "Hey Nao, see those guys over there?"

"Hmm?" Nao turned to look, her eyes narrowing in order to see better. "You mean the gardeners? Why?"

"I've never seen them before," Mio answered.

Nao shrugged. "Maybe the school hired some new ones. Anyway, who cares?"

Mio made a noncommittal noise, continuing to stare at them until Kahoko's groan reached her ears, complaining about her ineptitude at the very simple task of kicking a ball. As she and Nao began to comfort their rueful friend, Mio forgot about the two gardeners. She did not see one of them take out a slim digital camera and take several pictures of them, before they walked away.

o0o0o0o

"I have to find an accompanist?!"

Kanazawa-sensei sighed, rubbing the nape of his neck while frowning at Kahoko. "What, you didn't know? I thought I already mentioned this during your orientation."

"No you didn't!" Kahoko scowled at him.

"Well, now you know," he said with a shrug. "You still have time to look for an accompanist; I'm sure you can find one in no time."

Kahoko stopped short of giving Kanazawa a piece of her mind. "Sensei, does my accompanist have to be someone from Seisou?"

The teacher was rummaging for a cigarette in his pockets when she asked. "Hmm? You have someone in mind? Sorry, but you have to have a Seisou student as your accompanist."

Ah well. She could not ask Ken for help, then. Kahoko deflated. "I don't know anyone from the Music department," she groaned.

"Ask Hihara or Yunoki to help you," Kanazawa offered. "Or Tsukimori."

Kahoko stiffened at the mention of the aloof violinist. She sniffed. "No, I'd rather not."

Kanazawa sighed again. "Whatever floats your boat. Anyway, I called you here to tell you that you'll be excused from your tests on the day of the first selection. I already cleared everything up with your professors."

Kahoko brightened up considerably at that. She left Kanazawa's office with a grin on her face, her footsteps light. Being excused from her tests was a great relief; that meant she didn't have to worry about her academics while juggling the concours and her work! Plus, she would be able to call her brother tonight! The thought made her want to skip all the way to the Practice rooms, where she had already reserved a booth for the afternoon.

As she descended the stairs and turned a corner, a familiar voice caught her attention. She stopped and sneaked a look. It was Tsukimori Len. He seemed to be talking—no, he was arguing with a few Music students. She noticed their dark green ties. They were all seniors, and they looked pretty angry.

She wasn't able to hear most of the words, but she could recognize the angry voices and Tsukimori's cool, almost detached tone. She groaned. The guy was practically begging for a fight. _This is not good._

Then one of the seniors had slammed the sophomore violinist into the wall, Kahoko was spurred to action. Grabbing a nearby flower vase, she flung the contents onto the seniors that had begun to crowd around Tsukimori. Cut flowers and water splashed in their direction, effectively stopping their advance.

Kahoko grinned victoriously in her mind. _Alright! I got them to stop!_ Three soaked and thoroughly pissed seniors turned angry gazes to her. _Eep._ Kahoko unconsciously took a step back. "Uh…I'm an advocate of peace?" she offered hesitatingly.

The tallest and most forbidding of the three, who seemed to be the leader, let go of Tsukimori. Kahoko shot a quick glance to him. The blue-haired young man had gotten wet, too, and he was looking at her with a mixture of confusion and alarm. Well, at least he wasn't hurt. The low growl from the seniors' leader brought her attention back to them. "Bitch," he snarled, "this is none of your business."

Kahoko stiffened indignantly at the insult. "You should talk," she snapped before she could stop herself. "You have no business bullying people, you ugly brute!"

Kahoko vaguely heard someone gasp from behind the tall senior. She thought it might have been Tsukimori. But before she could look the large student had lunged at her. She instinctively closed her eyes, waiting for the blow that never came.

"Touch her and you'll regret it, punk."

Kahoko's eyes flew open. At first she was confused to find two school gardeners in front of her, but when her eyes landed on the face of one of them her eyes widened. "You!"

The one to the front and a bit left of her—who had a hand wrapped around the tall senior's throat—turned slightly to her. He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, ojou-sama. The boss said—"

"I don't want to hear about it right now," Kahoko cut him off, shaking her head. _Ojii-san…_She looked to the one to her right, who was holding a formidable pair of gardening shears in his hands like a weapon, seemingly ready to lop off the heads on the other two students. "Since when have you been following me?"

"Since this morning," he replied with a grimace. "Gomen, ojou-sama."

Kahoko sighed. She looked to the three seniors. "I think you should leave now."

The one who had wanted to attack her stirred. He scowled. "Don't think you can—urgh!" He coughed, choking. The fingers tightened on his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"I suggest you listen to her, kid," the yakuza member said coolly.

Kahoko was impressed. They looked like school gardeners alright, but their stance, their poker-faces, and the casual way one was hefting a large pair of garden shears and the other squeezing the air out of the guy's throat made them anything but—hang on a minute!!! She stirred to action, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Let him go," she said in a soft voice, slightly pleading.

The shoulder underneath her hand tensed. "But ojou-sama…"

"Don't worry, I don't think he'll try anything funny after this." Her eyes glanced to the student, who was trying to pry the fingers from his neck, with no success. His eyes were already bulging, and a bluish tinge was appearing on his face. "Come on, you don't want to cause trouble do you?"

Someone stirred from behind the other two senior students. "H-Hino? What's going on?" It was Tsukimori.

Kahoko cursed under her breath. It was only through sheer luck that they were blocked from view by the two other students. "Let him go now!" she hissed so that Tsukimori would not hear.

He seemed reluctant, but he relented. "Yes, ojou-sama," he answered, releasing his grip on the student's neck and lowering his hand so quickly Kahoko would have missed it if she wasn't watching.

The student coughed violently, the unexpected release dropping him unceremoniously on the floor. His comrades instantly hauled him up, one on each arm. All three were shooting them terrorized expressions as they scrabbled to leave without another word. Kahoko watched them leave with an aggravated frown. _On the bright side, they won't be up to bullying for a while. And they don't really know who I am, so that's fine, too._

The two yakuza members appeared before her, looking thoroughly abashed. "Ano…ojou-sama…" began one of them, fidgeting. "We…um…"

Kahoko sighed with a small smile. "Don't worry, I won't tell Ojii-san." They both released large sighs of relief. Kahoko's smile widened, but her brows furrowed together as she waved the empty vase at them. "But if I see you anywhere inside the school again—"

"Hino? Who are these guys?"

Kahoko froze, her insides flipping uneasily. She turned slowly. Tsukimori was already on his feet, but one hand was held out on the wall for support. He was still dripping wet. His amber eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of her and the two 'gardeners', one of which was still holding aloft a large pair of garden shears. Tsukimori took a step forward. "What happened? Those Music students—why did they—"

"Me and my friend were passing through when we saw one of those idiots going for ojo—ah, this lady here," interrupted the yakuza to Kahoko's left. His lips had split into an easy grin as he gestured to his partner, who also sported an apologetic and somewhat shy smile as he lowered the gardening tool, inconspicuously hiding it behind his back. "Turns out it only needed a warning that we'd tell the school principal before they took off."

Tsukimori was still frowning at them while he tried to shake off water dripping from his cobalt blue hair. "Ah, I see," he began. "And you were just passing through."

The other yakuza member nodded. "Lucky for you guys that we did, eh?"

"Why would you be passing through the school corridors? There aren't any plants inside the building you would need to take care of."

_Busted._ Kahoko frantically tried to wrack up a plausible excuse in her head. The two yakuza members had sent each other warning glances, their stances already shifting. Alarm bells rang off inside Kahoko's head. She knew what they were going to do, and she did not think it was a good idea at all! "Wait, Tsukimori-kun! Do you really have to be suspicious of them? I mean, they did help you—I mean, us—and well…shouldn't we at least just be…thankful?" She looked at Tsukimori with a sheepish grin. Inside her head, she was praying to all the spirits and gods that Tsukimori would listen, because if he didn't, her grandfather's men would have no choice but to render him unconscious and leave him lying in the corridor while they escape. _Not that I don't think he deserves a good wallop up the head for his horrid character, but I don't want to take any chances of leaving him with a broken jaw._

Tsukimori seemed to be weighing her words for a moment. Finally he sighed. "Sorry. I guess it was just the tension from before." He bowed shallowly, his posture still stiff. "Thank you for your help."

The first yakuza who had spoken up shook his head with another grin. "Nah, it's alright. It wasn't any problem, gaki."

Tsukimori's brow twitched. "Gaki?"

"Ah…Tsukimori-kun! I think you should go and change out of your wet clothes before you get a cold!" Kahoko interrupted quickly, sensing that Tsukimori was at his limit for civil, polite conversation. She turned to the two supposed gardeners and bowed her head. "Thank you for your help, gardener-san!" Under her breath, she added, "Get out of here!"

The two of them bowed back rather hurriedly, saying they needed to get work done before the day was over, before dashing quickly out of sight. That left Kahoko to deal with a wet and rather irritated Tsukimori. She turned to him with a smile. "Ano…I'm sorry about getting you wet." She laughed sheepishly, putting the empty vase back on its stand.

Tsukimori made a noise that was half grunt, half sniff. It sparked Kahoko's annoyance, but she took a firm grip on it before she could glare at the Music student. She needed to be careful; after all, who knew how much he had heard? It wouldn't take him a lot to string the conversation together to deduce that she was somehow related to the two suspicious gardeners. She put her thoughts aside as Tsukimori took off his sopping wet jacket and frowned at her. "I suppose I have to thank you for your…timely and unexpected interruption," he admitted, somewhat grudgingly.

Kahoko wanted to wring his neck. _Why you ungrateful, tight-assed bastard!_ Instead she let out a light laugh. "It was nothing, Tsukimori-kun. Come to think of it, I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing," she admitted truthfully.

Tsukimori sighed, somewhat miffed. "Apparently."

_So God help me, if he ticks me off enough I might call those two back here and borrow those gardening shears to cut him to pieces! Would it kill him to be nice?!_ Kahoko forced a grin on her face and offered to help him dry his clothes. The sophomore Music student did not reply, only began walking off in search of the clinic for some towels. Since he didn't actually refuse, Kahoko followed silently after him, mentally fuming at his cool, detached attitude.

Thankfully though, they did not encounter anyone in the halls. Kahoko let out a sigh of relief at that; it prevented awkward questions and more lies, something Kahoko did not relish doing. Lying about her and her family's identity was a matter of necessity though, so she lied about that, even though she did not like it.

The clinic had not been far. It was only three corners away from where she had seen Tsukimori attacked. As he hung his wet jacket on the back of a chair and pulled out a towel from a cabinet in the wall, Kahoko sat on the edge of the empty white bed. "Ne, Tsukimori-kun, why did those guys attack you?"

The blue-haired violin prodigy froze in the process of drying his hair and stared coolly at her. "I don't think that is any of your business, Hino."

Kahoko bristled. "I was only trying to make conversation," she snapped with a scowl. "If you don't want to answer that's fine." She sniffed and looked away. "Meany."

Tsukimori frowned. "I didn't mean to sound harsh, but it's the truth."

"Right," Kahoko muttered, then mumbled more softly to herself, "tell that to someone who believes, bastard."

Tsukimori paused. "Excuse me?"

Kahoko shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing," she replied loftily.

"Those seniors didn't hurt you did they?"

"Eh?" Kahoko had to blink a few seconds before the question sank in. "Uh…no. The gardeners came just in time." She was staring oddly at him now.

Tsukimori seemed affronted by the way Kahoko was staring at him. "It's only natural for me to worry about you, Hino. You're a girl. Seeing you confront three guys bigger and stronger than you would make any person with half a brain wonder if you are alright." He frowned at her then, seemingly annoyed that he had to explain his actions to her.

Kahoko felt a sudden urge to snigger, but quickly held it in. _So he's not used to being nice?_ She smiled more naturally this time. "Don't worry, I don't even have a scratch on me." Suddenly her pocket hummed, the vibration tingling her skin. She fished out her phone and saw that Kishino-san was calling her. "Excuse me, I have to take this call."

"Go ahead," Tsukimori gestured, and he turned away from her.

Kahoko gave him a small apologetic smile and walked a few paces away. She flipped the phone open and sighed into the receiver. "Please tell me this call is actually important."

"Good afternoon to you, too," chuckled Kishino on the other end of the line.

Kahoko rolled her eyes. "How did you get my number?"

She could hear the older woman snort. "Your grandfather, who else? Anyway, are you free tonight?"

Today was a Tuesday, which meant she could either waiter for Kishino or just stay home for the evening. "I'm free," she answered. "Do you need an extra set of hands?"

"Oh no. I wanted you and the band to practice the song for tomorrow."

Kahoko groaned. "Great. Don't tell me I'll be wearing…_that_ again." She glanced quickly at Tsukimori, who seemed to be busy trying to dry his white dress shirt with the towel.

_Café Melody_'s manager barked a laugh. "Kaho-chan, you know better than to ask."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Kahoko grumbled. "Where are we practicing?"

"At the park near the bay area. A few of Yuji's friends at school are having a small performance there at six. They agreed to let you borrow the stage and the instruments at around eight."

Kahoko narrowed her eyes. "You're not going to try anything funny, are you?"

"That hurt, Kaho-chan. Who do you think I am?"

"A sadistic, opportunistic manager," Kahoko replied flatly.

"Hmm, well that's true," Kishino replied musedly, making Kahoko snort again. "Anyway, are you good to go?"

Kahoko sighed. "Park at the bay area, eight o'clock. Yes, I'll be there."

"And bring your violin."

"What?!" Kahoko exclaimed. "Why do I have to bring my violin? Isn't singing enough for you?"

"Relax," Kishino said reassuringly on the phone. It only served to make Kahoko even more wary. She could somehow hear the woman grinning at this! She was sure of it! "I just wanted you to be able to practice for your concours as well as for your performance at the café tomorrow."

It seemed like a good idea. "Well…alright," Kahoko agreed, somewhat reluctant. "Have you told mom about it?"

"Of course I did. And your grandfather knows, too. I guess that means you won't have any problems with going there on time."

Kahoko could feel a headache coming on. She knew there was something off about all of this. "Fine," she sighed. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well, since you asked, you should tell Mio to come along and bring more designs for me to look over—you know, I have a lot more songs and themes in store, and I want to see if Mio-chan has designs for them."

"I hate you, you know that?"

Kishino laughed. "Kaho-chan, if you hate me that much your grandfather would have had me killed a long time ago."

Kahoko winced. "That was not even funny, Kishino-san. Really." She sighed again. "I'd better go. I have an hour of violin practice to go before I leave."

"Alright. Remember! Eight o'clock!"

"Yes, yes," Kahoko replied wearily, before terminating the call. First the incident with Tsukimori, and now this…Kahoko was sorely tempted to call this a bad day, except there was still her silver lining in this gloomy cloud of mess: the chance to call her brother. She smiled at the thought. She would do it tonight, after her practice.

"Good news?"

Tsukimori's voice startled her out of her thoughts. She pocketed her phone quickly and gave him a smile. "Not really. I was just thinking things. Well, since you're alright, I had better go." She walked to the door. "See you later then, Tsukimori-kun." Without further ado, she gave him a last cheerful wave and left the clinic.

Tsukimori stared long and hard at the door. "The bay park…hmm."

o0o0o0o

Kahoko smiled wryly as she spotted three of her grandfather's bodyguards sitting on a nearby bench, seemingly out for a casual stroll down the bay. She recognized the two as her rescuers from earlier that afternoon. When she caught their eye they nodded and grinned at her before going back to scanning the area.

Yuji walked up to her, adjusting the strap on the electric guitar. "Do they have to follow you everywhere?"

Kahoko turned her neck to look at Yuji. "Ojii-san," was all she said, but Yuji nodded as if he understood completely. He shrugged and gave her a grin.

"Ah well. Can you ask them to run a few errands for you though?"

Kahoko glared. "I'm not going to make them my servants for you, Yuji," she said flatly.

"No harm in asking," Yuji grinned cheekily. He went back to where Nobu was adjusting the strings of his base guitar, and Spud re-aligning the drums around his stool. Ken was sitting idly on the left edge of the small wooden stage, his legs dangling over the side. Kahoko walked over to him.

"All set?" she asked.

Ken looked up at her. "Yeah," he answered in a bored tone. He looked over to Yuji and the others. "Are those slowpokes done yet?"

Kahoko chuckled. "You know how fussy they are about setting up instruments." She looked down at him. "Anything unusual happened at your school?"

Ken, Yuji, Nobu, and Spud were all from the same high school, as was evidenced by the uniform they all wore: white button-up shirts with the logo of their school embroidered on the breast pocket, along with a pair of dark blue pants. Kahoko noticeably stood out in her Seisou Academy garb; she had not bothered changing, too.

Ken seemed to think about her question before shrugging, the ring hanging off his nose glinting dully in the light provided by the lamps hanging all over the stage. "Nothing much. This concert was all part of the school festival."

"Oh, so that's why." Kahoko sat down beside him and looked over the park. Very few people were passing by at such an hour, which made Kahoko glad. At least there won't be too much of an audience. Excluding, of course, her grandfather's three bodyguards.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Yuji called them over to start practice. It had been an unspoken agreement between all of them that Yuji was band leader, seeing as the concept of the group—including their present gigs—were all his idea. "Alright. Kaho, you got the lyrics down pat, right?"

"Yep." Kahoko waived a piece of paper at him. "The melody was good. It made memorizing easier for me."

"Right." Yuji looked over at the guys. "Well, you all know what to do. This is more rock and pop, so let's get the beat up and running, okay?"

All of the guys nodded their assent as they took their places. Kahoko stood a bit off center, the microphone already in her hands. Yuji scanned the stage for anything amiss before nodding once to Spud, who instigated the beat by striking his drumsticks.

At the mental count of three, Yuji began playing, the first notes piercing the cool evening air. Ken followed soon after with his keyboard, and then it was Kahoko's turn.

_H__itorikiri kurayami no naka_

_kimi no namida no imi wo shitta_

_negau basho fumi dashita kedo_

_dare mo kizutsuketaku nakute_

(All alone in the darkness,

I learned the meaning of your tears.

I've stepped forward to the place I wish for,

Yet I didn't want to hurt anyone.)

Spud was now working the rhythm at a steady pace, upbeat and thrumming even underneath Kahoko's skin. She grinned at them, the joy of playing shared by everyone else in the band. Yuji winked, and Nobu even sounded like he was laughing. A few people were now watching them, but Kahoko did not notice.

_U__mi wo wataru kaze wa kyou mo_

_mayowazu ni ashita ni mukau no ni_

_kokoro wa doushite ugoki dasenai_

(Even today, the wind crosses over the sea

And faces tomorrow without hesitation.

Why can't my heart begin to move?)

_D__onna unmei ga matte iru n darou_

_kuyami takunai yo umareta koto_

_kanashimi no naka ni yuuki ga aru_

_kagayaki tsukamu to shinjite iru_

_furishikiru aozora no NAMIDA_

_itsu no hi ka egao ni kaeru yo_

(What fate awaits me?

I don't want to mourn over the things that have come forth.

Within feelings of sorrow, courage still exists,

And I grasp its radiance while believing.

Tears flow down from a clear blue sky.

Someday they'll change into a smile.)

Kahoko's feet tapped the stage, keeping up the tempo as she sang. She found her grandfather's bodyguards cheering her on, and she waved at them. The lyrics flowed easily to her. Singing had always been relaxing for her, a way to deviate her attention from everything else, and just have fun. She often sang for her family back when she was in Tokyo, but it took a while for her to get over the stage fright of performing for strangers. Since then, whenever her grandfather had people visiting the gumi, she would sing a song or two, much to her Ojii-san's delight.

They finished the song and repeated it twice more before Yuji deemed them ready for the performance tomorrow. Kahoko enjoyed the practice session immensely, even going so far as to admit that wearing the costume again wasn't so bad, if she got to sing such a great song. It motivated her to _move_: to strive harder somehow, and to fight. To fight what became perfectly clear to her as the three bodyguards moved as one when they saw her approach. Somehow, she had to fight against the ghosts of her past, and accept the present. She waved to them with a grin. Kahoko knew her grandfather's visit was not a mere passing whim; she had a pretty good idea why he was here. After all, yakuza bosses don't go out of their territories for a mere social visit when he had not even done that for the entire two years they had escaped from Tokyo.

She allowed one of the bodyguards to carry her bag, the other her violin case while the last one led the way to the car parked around the corner. Kahoko was not duly worried though; not yet, anyway. Sooner or later, her grandfather would tell her the truth. She was sure of it. He was just waiting for the right opportunity.

o0o0o0o

_End Chapter 7._


	8. A Price to Pay

**Unsung, Untold**

_A La Corda d' Oro Fanfiction_

_Warnings/Disclaimers: All La Corda d'Oro names, places, and related indicia are copyright to Kure Yuki. Character names and places used in this story were created by the authoress without any intention of referring to actual names and/or places. All the OCs are the intellectual property of Moiraine Lendreth. Use of said characters in stories not penned by said author is a violation of her intellectual property rights._

_This story is currently rated T for mild language._

_This chapter is more like a filler, with very little plot development._

o0o0o0o

**Chapter 8: A Price to Pay**

It had been five days since he arrived in Seisou, but Nishiguchi Renji still could not find a way to tell his family the reason for his sudden, unannounced visit. He knew that Saeri was not thinking too much on it, and may have even chalked it up to his tendency to do things on a whim, but his granddaughters were another matter. Kahoko, especially, would have suspected he was hiding something.

Even though he had been _oyabun_ to the Sumiyoshi-rengo for decades now, Renji had never felt as old and tired as he did right then. He sighed, looking out the spacious veranda that overlooked the town's wide, sandy beach. He would have wanted to stay with Saeri and her daughters, but Jin and Tachibana, his shrewd lawyer, insisted he stayed in a hotel for the duration of his stay. Or rather, his mission.

Watanabe Jin, one of his select few _saiko-komon_, glanced up from where he had been reading a copy of _Guns & Ammo_ magazine nearby. "Is something bothering you, sir?"

Renji waived his question away. "Nothing, Jin. Just thinking, that's all."

Jin raised an eyebrow. He was not normally so relaxed when guarding Renji, but with the rest of the bodyguards stationed out in the hallway he had cast off his usual stoicism and acted more like Renji's childhood friend than his _saiko-komon_. "If you're wondering about the men I assigned to guard Kahoko-chan, you really don't have to worry. They can take care of anything that might pose a threat, and if something comes up they'll give us a call."

Renji snorted. "'Course I'm not worried, Jin. I trained those two brats personally, didn't I?" He paused, frowning. "I'm worried about how to tell Kahoko."

Jin's face cleared, and for a moment pity flashed in his eyes. "Nishiguchi-sama, with all due respect, I still think this is a bad idea."

"I think it's bullshit, to be frank," Renji replied blithely. "But there's no other way to solve this mess without the loss of lives." He sighed again, wiping a hand across his face. "I can't think of anything else."

Jin scowled, his eyes sharp with sudden anger. "But marrying ojou off to that fucking bastard's son—!" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Forgive my rudeness, Nishiguchi-sama. I should not have raised my voice."

Renji chuckled half-heartedly. "Don't apologize. I can understand why you'd be angry." He sighed again, heavily this time. Personally, he thought he would have done worse than yelling.

Jin pitied his best friend. Renji led one of the most powerful Yakuza clans, but he also bore a great responsibility because of it. And now he had to sacrifice one of the few people he treasured most for the sake of the clan. It was unfair –even the lowest _shateigashira_ who had heard the news did not relish in the idea of marrying off their Kahoko ojou-sama—and Jin knew it would devastate Renji. But it was a small price to pay for peace. The Yakuza veteran stood up and fixed a glass of scotch (straight of course), giving it to the Sumiyoshi _oyabun_ without another word.

Renji nodded, taking the glass with a gruff 'thanks'. He drank half of it in one swallow, then nursed what was left in one hand, swirling it slowly. "Kahoko-chan would hate me for this," he said suddenly, in a morose manner.

Jin resisted the urge to sigh and pat his boss on the shoulder. "I believe ojou does not have the capacity to hate anyone, least of all you, Nishiguchi-sama."

Renji snorted. "Maybe not, but after I tell her the truth, she will."

"Ojou will understand, sir." When his boss did not reply, Jin thought that it would be wiser to change the topic. "Will you attend the Seisou Academy concours?"

"That goes without saying!" Renji barked, some of his usual spirit returning. He regarded Jin with a sharp look. "You're coming with me, of course."

"Yes, sir," Jin replied crisply, hiding a smile. "And how many bodyguards will you be taking?"

"None."

Jin blinked. "None? But Nishiguchi-sama, even Tachibana-san insisted that—"

"We will take no one else, Jin," Renji cut off firmly, and Jin could do nothing more than bow his head, knowing he could not change his boss's mind. "I promised Kahoko I would not draw any more attention to myself."

Jin considered it. The town was relatively small and very peaceful, with an astonishingly small crime rate that made him wonder if the town was actually real. There were a few gangs made up of punk kids, but nothing which he believed was connected in any way to real, more dangerous groups. He had even personally scouted the school just yesterday, looking out for potential hiding places where a sniper or a small ambush team could lie in wait. He personally thought that the school was very lacking in terms of security, but knew from his sources that his boss would be relatively safe. "But I will sleep safer if you carry your Sig Sauer with you, boss."

Renji rolled his eyes. "Very well."

There was a knock on the door. Renji remained still, but Jin spurred to action, one hand already on his gun holster while the other stayed in front. They had not heard anything from outside that would tell them something was amiss, but Jin was not one to take chances if he could help it. "Who is it?" he asked in a low, deceptively calm voice.

There was some shuffling, and the door opened slightly. A head poked through, one Jin recognized as one of the bodyguards. He loosened his tight stance, and removed the hand on the gun. "Well?"

The young Yakuza opened the door wider to let himself through, then bowed his head towards Jin. When he saw Nishiguchi Renji sitting on a couch, watching, he stiffened and quickly bent his entire upper body. "Jin-san, Nishiguchi-sama, Juubei and Misaki are here."

A glint appeared in Renji's eyes. "Send them in immediately."

"Yes, boss."

The Yakuza left almost immediately, and in a few seconds two others walked in, wearing gardener's clothes slightly smudged with dirt. They knelt and bowed before Renji, foreheads touching the carpeted floor. "We have returned, boss."

Renji grunted to show he heard, then snapped his fingers. The young men quickly stood up and at attention, their faces revealing nothing. Renji frowned slightly at them. "You should have been here half an hour ago."

"Our deepest apologies, boss. We had to wait until most of the students had gone home before we could get what you wanted."

"And did you get it?"

"Yes, boss." One of them took a slightly thick manila envelope and handed it over to Jin, who took it and scanned through the contents. After perusing them and making sure nothing was amiss, Jin handed everything to Renji.

With another hand gesture from Renji one of the young Yakuza began to report.

"Misaki and I were assigned to guard Kahoko ojou-sama covertly, and identify the people she associates with. Moreover, we were assigned to get information on these people." He glanced at Renji, who had begun looking through the folders inside the envelope. "We have obtained copies of the students' and teachers' records."

"Kahoko ojou-sama seems to have two close friends, who Nishiguchi-sama has met before. From their records, they are from ordinary families; no associations with any clan. They are both in ojou-sama's class."

Renji was looking at a photograph clipped onto the folder that contained Mio and Nao's profiles. It was a picture of the girls with Kahoko, laughing while they sat together at the edge of a soccer field. "Go on," Renji told the man.

"Yes, sir," his subordinate began. "We have also gathered pictures and information on all the other participants in the concours ojou-sama is in. Two of them are freshmen. The girl is from a relatively wealthy family, while the boy is middle-class. They also have no associations with any Yakuza clan, although the girl's parents have a business in Tokyo."

Renji raised an eyebrow, scanning Fuyuumi Shouko's profile. "Trade?"

"They buy and sell antiques, sir."

"Antiques, eh?" Renji looked at Jin. "Does the name 'Fuyuumi' ring any bells, Jin?"

As _saiko-komon_, Jin was held in-charge of the shopping district in Tokyo. That meant he handles and traffics all the businesses held there, including arcades, _pachinko _games, shopping malls, even antique stores. "Hmm. I remember a Fuyuumi person…yeah, antiques." He shrugged. "Harmless, boss. They haven't caused us trouble."

"Hmm." The Yakuza _oyabun_ scanned through the folder quickly, then turned to the next. He gestured with one hand for Juubei to continue.

"There is only one other sophomore participant, excluding ojou-sama. Tsukimori Len, Music course, who plays the violin. His parents are both renowned musicians—his mother especially, is the pianist Hamai Misa."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "The boy must be good. I've seen Hamai-san's performances in Tokyo and Paris—a lovely woman." He smiled briefly in memory, before turning his attention back to the reporting Juubei, all serious again. "Who else is in this contest?"

"Lastly, there are two third year students. One is Hihara Kazuki—from a middle-class family as well, Nishiguchi-sama. Then there is Yunoki Azuma. His family owns the Yunoki Conglomerate, which dominates mostly the arts of tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and owns a chain of _ryokan_ in the Kyoto prefecture, as well as Karuizawa. He is the youngest of three sons."

Renji only glanced at Hihara's folder, but he read Yunoki Azuma's profile intently. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

Jin, who had taken a position to the right of Renji's couch, leaned forward slightly. "Is something amiss, sir?" he asked, all business again. "I remember that you have had several dealings with the boy's father before."

"No. I am pretty sure the boy will not recognize me," Renji answered. He read the profile. "I am fairly certain he has never seen my face, although he may have heard about me. To be safe, I will stay away from this one."

Jin nodded, satisfied, and went back to his usual position, gesturing for the younger Yakuza member to continue his report.

"Nishiguchi-sama, we have also obtained records of one other student. He is not a participant, but we have seen him with ojou-sama several times during the day. His name is Tsuchiura Ryoutarou, and he is a General course student, sir."

Renji came upon Ryou's profile with several pictures clipped onto the front of the folder. Each one had Kahoko's grinning face in it. "Is he her classmate?"

"No, sir. They attend different classes, but they are in the same year."

"What about after school?"

"Ojou-sama went to Kishino-san's place, then practiced with a band in a nearby park before heading back home. We also have information on the band members, except Kishino-san's son Yuji."

Renji let both young men finish their report before saying, "Good work. Continue guarding my granddaughter, and tell me of any developments. Make certain she does not see you, under any circumstance. Is that clear?"

Both Yakuza nodded, bowing before retreating out of the room with quick, decisive steps. They were pale-faced and sweating by the end of the report. Renji knew from experience this was normal, and most common of newly-welcomed members. He had heard the stories about him, after all; they were enough to intimidate any wet-behind-the-ear Yakuza who came near him.

As the door shut closed behind them, Jin turned to Renji once again. "Nishiguchi-sama, may I ask what all the inquiries are for?"

Renji eyed the small stack of folders in his lap. "I want to be on the safe side, Jin. Seisou is pretty far from Tokyo, but I am not sure if the Inagawa does not have influence here. This is free territory."

Jin nodded, understanding. Free territory is an area that has not been claimed by any Yakuza group, major or otherwise. As such, anyone can do anything within its boundaries without being subject to laws and treaties that usually keep Yakuza activities in check. The Inagawa would be well within their rights to station an outpost here without fear of retaliation.

As far as they knew, the Inagawa could already have one within Seisou.

Running a background check was the most logical decision to make sure that Saeri and her daughters' location was still kept hidden, and there is no threat to its continued secrecy. If the Inagawa or any of the other Yakuza Four heard that his family was hiding here…Jin shuddered to think of the consequences.

While Renji began to peruse the folders once more, Jin's phone began to ring. Both men paused. Jin took out his phone and flipped it open. "Yes?"

There were a few seconds of silence. Jin turned to Renji. "It's Tachibana-san, Nishiguchi-sama."

Renji nodded. "Put him on speakerphone."

"Yes, sir."

Jin placed the phone on the coffee table between them. "You can talk to him now, Tachibana-san."

"Right," came a male voice on the phone, cool and unwavering. "Boss?"

"Right here," Renji replied, leaning against the couch.

"Are you alone?"

"You can talk freely, Kyousuke. I'm in my hotel room," Renji said before taking a sip of his scotch.

There was a relieved sigh on the phone. "How are things over there, boss?"

Renji shrugged although Sumoyoshi-kai's lawyer could not see. "Nothing's happened yet, if that's what you're asking."

There was a slight pause at the other end of the line. "You mean, you haven't told them yet?"

"No," came the curt answer.

"But boss, if you can't—"

"Tachibana-san," Jin interrupted smoothly. He did not say anything else, but the message was clear.

Tachibana coughed slightly. "Err, yes. Sorry, boss. But the situation here is getting tricky."

Renji rolled his eyes. "What do the Inagawa want now?"

Before leaving, Renji had appointed Tachibana as his representative when dealing with the Inagawa-kai. He should have picked out his _wakagashira_ for the job, but his grandson was still too young and inexperienced. Negotiations with the Inagawa—serious or not—need delicate work.

Tachibana seemed to hesitate on the other end. "They want to know when you would be back, boss. With ojou-sama. Their _oyabun_ is getting restless, or so his shit-face of a _saiko komon_ tells me." His voice shook slightly at the end, which surprised Renji. Tachibana always held his composure even under pressure, and he never swore. Doing both at the same time meant he was getting truly angry.

Renji sighed. "Has there been trouble?"

"Just the usual, boss. None of their higher-ups are doing anything, but there'd been five attacks spread all over the city. We have witnesses, and they all point to the Inagawa. But Tanioka Ichiro denies having anything to do with the attacks. He said he'll take a look at it." Tachibana snorted. "I'd have shot him in the head for the lies, but I did what you told me, boss. Grin and nod."

"Good. Just keep an eye on the Inagawa, and don't do anything stupid."

"Pardon me boss, but just grinning and nodding to everything that fucktard says is pretty stupid to me."

Renji grinned in spit of himself. When his lawyer was well and truly agitated, he could be as sharp-tongued as a punk-assed street thug. "I know how you feel, Kyousuke. Sometimes I wish I could just blow their snotty asses to the sky—"

"Not a bad idea," came the grumbling comment on the other end of the line.

"—but right now we have to use our heads, and think carefully before we do anything. You know as well as I do what relies on our successful treaty with the Inagawa group."

There was a tired, frustrated sigh on the phone. "Yes, Nishiguchi-sama. I understand."

"Good." Renji nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "How is Keitaro?"

"He's doing a wonderful job," Tachibana replied, a hint of pride in his tone. "You made the right decision to make him your _wakagashira_."

Renji made a sound of agreement. "That boy's just like his father," he said, suddenly missing his son, Sho.

The lawyer suddenly chuckled. "Couldn't agree more, boss. He's a tough kid, that one. Still young, but everyone loves him already. And he's been handling things here pretty fine—he's taken to his duties like fish to water."

"Keitaro's got a good eye for business." Not to mention, Renji added to himself, a quick wit and a thirst to prove himself.

"That he does," agreed Tachibana. "By the way boss, a letter arrived for you this morning."

Renji raised an eyebrow, sharing a quick glance with Jin. "A letter?"

"It's from Yamamoto-san."

"Ah. Who brought it in?"

"I don't know," Tachibana replied, sounding apologetic. "It was given to me the moment I arrived at the gumi, but nobody remembers who had sent it there."

Renji nodded to himself. It was quite understandable; the Sumiyoshi gumi was a sprawling complex of interconnected buildings, and housed well over a hundred members at any given time. Letters and messages were sent to and from the compound several times a day; it would be impossible to keep track of who sent or received them all. "Alright. Tell Keitaro to bring the letter when he comes here."

"You asked him to come to Seisou?" Tachibana asked, surprised.

Renji snorted. "Of course I didn't. But he wanted to—he even went on his knees and begged me for it!" He laughed suddenly. "He even threatened to go over to the Inagawa if I didn't let him."

Jin laughed, too. "Yep. Sounds like he got that from Sho-san, too."

"He does," Tachibana agreed, his tone wry. "By the way boss, will Keitaro be staying with you?"

Renji considered the idea. "Maybe," he answered after a while. "I can't speak for my grandson about this—Kei might have plans of his own."

"I understand," replied the lawyer. "Well then, boss. I shall give Keitaro the letter before I leave. Anything else?"

"There is, actually," Renji said, glancing at Jin. "If Yamamoto-san has any more letters for me, please keep them with you until either Keitaro or I arrive at the gumi."

There wasn't even the slightest hint of hesitation when Tachibana answered with a "yes, boss" before hanging up the phone. The lawyer was no stranger to odd requests, and knew that he had to follow them to the letter, without question.

As Jin stowed away his phone, Renji asked, "When is Kaho-chan's concours again?"

"I believe it's five days from now, boss."

Five days. Plenty of time, Renji guessed, for him to plan out his next move. He nodded absently and emptied the glass of scotch, putting down the glass with a soft chink. "Right. Jin, get the men ready; we're going out for a drive."

Jin nodded and left the room in five easy strides, the door closing with barely a sound behind him. Renji took one more glance at the papers on the table, several pictures of his granddaughter scattered among them.

"I want to see this Seisou Academy for myself."

o0o0o0o

Kahoko let out a long, slow breath, thankful that classes were now over. Her fingers ached from copying notes all day, and her neck felt a little stiff. It was a good thing she was not in charge of after-school duties today. She still had to wait tables at _Cafe Melody_ later, but now she had at least two hours free for herself. She was about to turn around and ask Mio and Nao about going to splurge on cakes and tea when she remembered that she had to practice her piece for the concours.

"Oh crap," she muttered, her mood dampening considerably. "There goes my afternoon." But looking on the bright side, at least she had found her accompanist.

Kahoko was grateful that Shouji Megumi had approached her voluntarily yesterday afternoon. She didn't even want to think about what she would be doing right about now if the freshman from the Music department had not offered to take the spot. Yunoki-senpai would have heard about it, she guessed, then offer to have one of his acquaintances (though die-hard fan would be a better description) be her accompanist. Kahoko shuddered. Having one of Yunoki-senpai's fangirls play with her on stage would mean her doom for sure. Those fan girls could be downright...scary.

Both Mio and Nao offered to walk with her to the practice hall, for which Kahoko was grateful. She counted herself lucky to have such great friends, even if she felt just a tad bit guilty for not telling them the entire truth about her identity. They were safe as long as they didn't know who she really was. Or her grandfather, for that matter.

Speaking of which...

Kahoko's eyes wandered as they walked leisurely to the practice hall, absently commenting on Mio's excited talk about a new sweet shop opening near Kishino's cafe. Her brow furrowed slightly when she could not find the two yakuza her grandfather had sent to protect and spy on her, and most probably spy on her friends, too. Where were they?

"Kaho-chan? You listening?"

"Uh...what?" Kahoko blinked several times. Both her friends were looking at her strangely. "Er...sorry, I was spacing out." She let out a nervous laugh.

Mio smiled. "Come on, Kaho-chan. We know you're pretty nervous about the concours, but you should have a bit more confidence in yourself. We know you can do this!"

"She's right," Nao added, patting Kahoko's shoulder. "We already heard you play, and I personally think you won't do badly at the contest at all."

Eh? Kahoko had to think for a moment before realizing that her friends thought she was nervous about the concours. "A-ah. Thanks."

Kahoko thanked whatever gods were watching that Mio and Nao did not notice anything strange about her response. They merely led the way to the practice hall, chatting animatedly.

All too soon they were in front of the practice room Kahoko had been using, and both girls turned to Kahoko with identical encouraging grins. "Well, guess this is where we leave you then," Nao began. "Good luck with the concours, Kaho." She winked.

"You can do it Kaho-chan!" Mio pumped an energetic fist in the air, oblivious to the looks she earned from the Music students walking past.

Kahoko could not suppress the chuckle that bubbled from her throat. "Thanks." She waived at them before entering the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Megumi-san had not arrived yet. Kahoko sat down on a nearby chair with a sigh, dumping her bag and the violin case on the coffee table. She glanced at her watch and mentally slapped herself. She had forgotten that Megumi had told her yesterday she would be late for about half an hour or so, because of her own piano practice.

"Great. Now what?" she muttered, then perked up considerably when her hand felt the new, slim phone against her skirt pocket. She took it out, eyes shining with anticipation, her hand shaking. She scrolled through the short list of stored numbers and chose one. When she pressed the phone against her ear, it was ringing.

Her heart thumped loudly against her chest.

"Yeah?" the voice on the other end of the line drawled. It was male, slightly deeper than she remembered, and Kahoko could almost imagine her brother lounged lazily on his bed, phone in hand. It made her smile.

"O-oniichan?" Kahoko's voice trembled a little, and she did not know why. Her eyes were watering, too. "Is that you?"

A sharp intake of breath, a shuffling noise as the phone was passed from one hand to another. "Kaho-chan? It's you isn't it?"

_Thank God. It's him. It's really my brother. He's alive!_ Kahoko's chest swelled with relief, and she let the tears flow. She sobbed. "Yes! It's me!" She didn't know she was capable of crying and laughing at the same time; apparently, her brother did, too.

They cried and laughed at each other for a good five minutes, relishing in the thought that they were alright. Kahoko answered her brother's questions in the middle of it. Yes, mom is fine. And Kaoru-neesan was working in the city, a plain company employee like she always wanted. And yes, she was doing very well, too.

"I miss you onii-chan," Kahoko wailed, uncaring that she looked exactly like a blubbering child alone in a practice room. She had not seen or heard from her brother in nearly two years. She had kept the emotions at bay for so long, but hearing her brother had made her burst.

Her brother chuckled on the line, sniffing at the end. It sounded like he was hastily wiping his nose, too. "I miss you too, you little twerp. I'd go there sooner if I could, but I've lots to do here before I could leave." He sounded genuinely apologetic.

Kahoko shook her head. "I understand. But I hope you can visit, even for just a few days. I mean, ojii-chan managed to visit, didn't he?"

Her brother was silent for a few moments. "Has he told you anything?"

Kahoko paused. She could hear the tension in her brother's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," came the quick reply. "I was just wondering if he's been telling you stuff." A pause. "He hasn't been telling you anything stupid about me, has he? Because if he has—"

Kahoko laughed. "No. He said he's just visiting."

"Ah." A voice in the background, calling her brother's name. "Listen, Kaho. I'm kind of in the middle of something right now. I'll call you later, alright? Sumiyoshi's word."

"Okay." Kahoko smiled. "I'll be expecting it." She hesitated a moment, gripping her phone tightly until her knuckles were white. "Anou...onii-chan?"

"Yeah? Forgot to tell me something?" his brother seemed distracted. She could hear another voice in the background, urgent this time.

Kahoko took a deep breath. "Ojii-chan's visit here...wasn't just a visit, was it?" Her voice steadily became stronger, and Kahoko decided to just get it right out. "He's in trouble, isn't he?"

Her brother paused at the other end of the line. There was a slow gust of breath. A sigh of defeat. "You won't believe me even if I tell you there's nothing to worry about, will you?"

Kahoko closed her eyes. "No."

"Well shit," Keitarou huffed again. "I was never able to lie to you, was I?" He paused again. "You're not going to like this."

Kahoko sighed, too. "Tell me."

o0o0o0o

_End Chapter 8._


End file.
